The reincarnation of ELO?
Luke Toms describes himself as a 'philantropist, dandy and songwriter', born in 1904. According to his press release he apparently faked his own death in 2005 and now lives in London, exploring 'life and pre-war jazz'. 'Fools With Money' is his debut EP release.
Title track 'Fools With Money' opens the EP with great flair, all strings and jaunty beat and calling to mind the sound of the Divine Comedy. Unfortunately Luke Toms' vocals are not quite as individual or strong as Neil Hannon's, and do let the song down a little; although as the track is largely instrumentally driven they are forgivable. The influence of 1970s orchestral-influenced pop-rock acts such as ELO becomes increasingly apparent as the track moves forwards, cutting and pasting stripped down drum sections, spoken word snippets and extended wall of sound vocal- and-instrumental-heavy moments. The song doesn't quite live up to the joyous feeling created by its opening string piece (undoubtedly its highlight), but does have a pleasant, if not quite catchy, melody; and a great deal of infectious energy and enthusiasm.
'Hangover Blues' seems to serve largely as a showcase for Mr. Toms' unattractive vocal style, which becomes more and more waring as the track meanders down its almost four minute long path. With a better textured voice, the track would be more likeable, as it has a strong blues feel and a certain amount of build and climax. In this context however, it all sounds too much, too rich – the musical equivalent of an over-brandied Christmas pudding.
Third track '(Oh No) You Can't Do That' opens with a slow and sexy jazz beat that unfortunately speeds up into a very catchy 1970s style chorus, calling to mind ELO once again. It is essentially a rehash of the idea carried out in the opening track, but less well executed and (perhaps not unintentionally) rather cheesy. 'You Get Me There' closes the EP with a ballad in which the singer's vocals are stronger, more precise and overall far better than in any other track. It is a calming, piano-led piece with a subtle string accompaniment, which demonstrates emotion without overdoing things.
'Fools With Money' and 'You Get Me There' save this EP from the land of the mundane, and leave the listener curious about Luke Toms' further work; it is something of a great shame that the middle two tracks fall down somewhat, but fortunately they do not undermine the fact that Luke Toms clearly has skill and potential. It wouldn't be fair to say that he is making music entirely in a sound of his own as he is clearly heavily influenced by certain sections of the 1970s, but Toms plays in a sound the music scene hasn't heard for a while, and does so with a sense of fun.