I simply cannot put into words what it means to me to finally be writing an article again on Parlor City Sound. And there’s no more fitting a return than to write this review of Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios.
As some of you surely know, Parlor City Sound went on a hiatus over the summer. Our last published article prior to this was my interview with Abandoned Studios’ Michael Micha. Not long thereafter I was in the room I’m in as I write this, realizing I’d gotten paint all over my otherwise spiffy Arsenal F.C. Sambas. The only thing more colorful than our walls—and my kicks—was the language I was using.
Parlor City Sound was never far from our minds during this period. It was the subject of conversation during approximately 90 million drives back and forth between Binghamton and Buffalo. It was in the back of my head as I sat through meetings at my new job I probably didn’t really need to attend. And it erupted into my headspace each time my five-year old daughter heard False Prophet by Tom Jolu or Messy Room by Kipani and would start singing her heart out.
It’s impossible to sum up the Binghamton music scene by pointing at any single band or artist and shouting “That!” But Tom Jolu does get pretty damn close. Their sound is incredibly unique. The E Street vibe, the sweeping horns, frontman Tom Lewis’ vocals I so often liken to Jello Biafra—Tom Jolu is an act you really can’t sum up in a few words. Their music catches you off guard in all the right ways. And to my ear, that’s a defining quality of the brilliant music coming out of this region.
Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios is almost an ode to the studio itself
As some of you may have heard by now, Abandoned Studios has left the Spool Contemporary Artspace where Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios was recorded. As I’m writing this, Michael Micha is in the process of moving into a new space. And I for one am excited to hear what comes out of that new space. Because if there’s one thing I learned interviewing him, it’s that the Abandoned sound doesn’t boil down to the walls of a building. It’s the walls of his heart that make that studio what it is.
Still, having said that, the old Abandoned Studios space had an undeniable magic to it. A magic that seems heightened as you listen to Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios. There’s a wonderful aural symbioticism achieved in the air between those storied walls when a group of talented musicians like Tom Jolu start shaking those molecules. And if you have an ear for such things, it’s simply impossible to miss when you sit down with this EP.
These songs—some familiar, some never before released—seem to play exceptionally well in this space. It’s almost as if Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios is an ode to the studio itself. I’m quite certain Tom Lewis didn’t write these songs specifically to be recorded live here. But each track seems to fill the old Abandoned Studios space like water might fill a bottle.
A big, beautiful sound filling a gorgeous space
Tom Jolu’s cast of impeccable musicians make exceptional use of every square inch of this space, filling Abandoned studios with colorful sound. Each and every musician stands out here, from the eye-opening guitar riffs unleashed by James Pilipovic to the well-oiled machine that is Matt Ebbers, who for my money is one of the best and most well-rounded drummers with a 607 area code. That same compliment is one I frequently offer bassist Reeve Longcoy. And the epic horn section passionately ensures not a single nook or cranny is left unattended.
And then we have Tom Jolu’s hyper-charismatic maestro Tom Lewis, a master songsmith who rather surprisingly doesn’t take himself half as seriously as musicians of his caliber are so often wont to do. There’s a stunning approachability to Lewis’ lyricism—it’s personal but relatable. It’s deep, but it’s approachable. His songs connect with you in a way that can lighten your heart while simultaneously yanking on its strings.
Another day, another friend taken away. Too many pain pills that they took, for all the demons had them shook. So take my hand. you can use my strength to stand. You can make this one more day. You can make this one more day.
‘One More Day’ — Tom Jolu
When you put all of this together, you end up with a big, beautiful sound filling a gorgeous space from start to finish. These five songs perfectly compliment the studio they were tracked in, and the studio itself compliments them right back.
This One’s For You, Pi, and Daylight
Of the five songs featured on this new EP, two will be instantly familiar to Tom Jolu fans. Pi was featured on the 2022 EP Solid Maybe. And One More Day was a single from the 2021 LP Fools, Friends, and the Great Beyond. The other three songs—This One’s For You, Daylight, and Can’t Get Enough are new releases.
If this album were Tom Jolu’s resume, the opening track This One’s For You would serve as the summary. This is pure Tom Jolu at it’s finest: firm-footed indie rock with that signature “alt-heartland” vibe only they can produce. It sets the stage for the journey to come with a tone that’s decidedly Tom Jolu. You just can’t describe it any other way.
Next up is Pi, opening with the jovial line “Would you like a slice, a slice of pizza pie?” You almost think this track will be a bit on the silly side, until Tom Lewis throws down some of that working class mojo that pushes the band’s musical needle firmly into that aforementioned heartland territory.
Things settle down a bit for Daylight, a moving track that nearly drifts into ballad territory. Here, Tom Lewis is taking us for a little drive. We’re right there in the car with him, feeling the same things he’s feeling. That is, if you can even pay attention to the lyrics with this tidal wave of emotional sound gushing from each and every instrument. This might be Tom’s story, but the whole band is telling it musically, and not a single sound is wasted delivering it.
Can’t Get Enough and One More Day
The track that caught me the most off-guard? That has to be Can’t Get Enough. This is rock and roll purism, coming from a gear I honestly didn’t know Tom Jolu had. Not that I’m especially shocked by that … but I hadn’t really heard that gear until now. This is a track that makes you jump, jive, and wail. Well, until that monstrous drop clobbers you unexpectedly, anyway. You’ve been warned … it’s really, really good.
This is my personal favorite track on Tom Jolu at Abandoned Studios. It’s a little bit Springsteen. A little bit Brian Setzer. And a whole big stack of Tom Jolu.
Tom Jolu at Abandoned Studios wraps things up with one of my personal favorites from their song collection, One More Day. And again, I wasn’t made privy to the decision process that informed their set choices for this EP. But thinking about Tom Jolu’s tracks, it’s difficult to think of a track I’d rather hear recorded live at Abandoned Studios than One More Day. If you’re not sure what I meant earlier about this studio’s sound or how well Tom Jolu works occupying that space, this track sums it up far better than I can explain in words.
Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios is only available on physical media
This is usually the part where I tell you to race over to Spotify and give this EP a listen, before then heading out and buying a copy for yourself. But Tom Jolu is doing something you rarely see artists do these days: they’re skipping the digital release, asking you instead to pick up your copy on physical media. A decision we wholeheartedly support more artists doing.
You can buy a physical copy of Tom Jolu Live at Abandoned Studios on vinyl by visiting Tom Jolu’s official website, and you’ll also be able to pick up a copy once its released at Sound Go Round on the Vestal Parkway. As it stands, there are no plans to release this EP on digital platforms, so get out there and buy your copy of this extraordinary new release, either now on pre-order or when it officially drops on April 12th. It’s well worth it!
