photo by Neil McKenzie, Keep it Creative; photo courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

Album Review of Anton O’Donnell: Tomber Sur PRW

Gritty, heartfelt, immersively engaging Americana from Glasgow, Scotland. Anton O’Donnell’s voice has an emotional, cracking edge that’ll recall for you the old west. His music is what you might expect to hear a big, old-fashioned country music dancehall. And his songwriting cuts a broad swath across the portion of Americana that stretches from traditional country to perhaps a slower version of rockabilly. There are additional, apparent influences that help provide varied appeal to the album, with alt-rock and blues influences rearing their heads from time to time, as well. Of those we’re reviewed at the Blog in the past, I’d place Anton on the Americana spectrum somewhere between The Chapin Sisters and Adam Lee, a good fit to perform on the same bill as either or both.

I get so many submissions of good Americana music that it’s rare to hear something that sounds different and new, but Anton’s Tomber Sur PRW is most definitely special. Perhaps it’s because Anton’s voice could fit with gritty rock ‘n roll, as well, sometimes reminiscent of Tom Petty. Combine that mix of influences and uniquely identifiable vocal style with Anton’s clever, articulate, thoughtful songwriting, and the result is a record with potentially broad appeal.

image courtesy of Broken Jukebox Media

The album kicks off with one of its most appealing songs, “Kindness.” Anton’s voice conveys a unique tone on the song, with a nasal, cooler-than-you edge that may be the edgy Americana equivalent of Tom Petty’s slower, folkier tracks from his Full Moon Fever record.

“Skulduggery” carries the same cool vibe as its predecessor but has a bit more energy, while the lyrics pull no punches about the song’s very serious topic: “No, you feel no god around here, just the devil in man.” Then “Roots” slows things down again, with a wide-open-spaces, soaring, mildly haunting twang.

“Dreams Fade Under the Weight” has more of a sittin’ ‘n pickin’ singer-songwriter flavor, once again mixing things up, providing another of those twists that makes Tomber Sur PRW so hard to describe, even when painting with a broad stroke. But if you haven’t figured out by now that this album is a unique original, you’ve not been paying attention.

As the album rolls on, the songs continue to be similar but different. “Shine a Light” haunts. “It Never Lasts” has a rock ‘n roll vibe driven by a big ’50s/’60s recurring riff, an alt-rock-ish noisy soundbed, and a country-rock guitar jangle. “Set It On Fire” sports a palpable tension and an echoing openness that are surreally unsettling. “Madman on the Loose” marches along resolutely if a little off-kilter, grabbing the listener’s attention, reminding me quite a bit of the big, straightforwardly twisted sound of Love Love, a band I’ve reviewed here at the blog.

The 9-song album ends with “DJango,” a soft, methodically advancing song that leans heavily into fiddle and pedal steel for its soaring, swaying Americana tempo and texture. And, with a closing fadeout, Tomber Sur PRW lands softly.

The album is a great beginning-to-end listen, while the first two tracks and “It Never Lasts” remain my favorites for one-off listens – they’d be my picks to be released as singles. Anton’s voice is larger than life, very much rock ‘n roll but in a folky, country way. It’s unique and identifiable, as is his style, which permeates every nook and cranny of this album, even with its broad variety of influences. So yeah, it’s a very cool album.

Looking Ahead

You can follow Anton O’Donnell on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with his goings-on, such as these shows today and tomorrow in Glasgow.