Cincymusic.com CD review by Shane Miller (August, 2001)
Have you been wondering where all of the really poetic,
emotionally driven songwriters have been hiding lately? Well you
can find a few of them in the local band Tonefarmer. Recreation,
the debut CD from these Cincinnati natives, is an amazing display
of audio creativity and musical talent.
The band, made up of Rob Hamrick (vocals, guitars, synths)
Chris Mundy (bass) and John Miracle (drums), puts out more "ear candy"
than many other discs I have purchased in the past few years.
From the time the disc starts, to its completion, Tonefarmer takes
listeners on an emotional roller coaster with many twists and turns.
Tonefarmer displays musical styles that I find to be reminiscent
of a early Neil Young meets Brian Eno. The opening track "Save the Day"
features an upbeat blend of electric and acoustic guitars with a very
crisp drum tone and melodic bass lines. The vocals are extremely melodic
and put out hooks that will not leave your head for a day or two,
and Hamrick displays a vocal range that I found to be quite impressive.
Two cuts deeper on Recreation is a relaxing track titled "I Wish I Knew".
I think that it could be the missing song from the Trainspotting soundtrack.
Thumbs up!
The disc winds down with a track called "Slow Down". I found this
song to be something that could fit on an early Psychedelic Furs album.
This is another one of my personal favorite tracks on the album.
The great thing about this album is that there is a lot of experimental
synth sounds in the background of many songs, and they are all tastefully done.
You can tell that these guys have been around the musical block a few times.
Everything is blended very well and nothing is over the top.
Possible influences: Neil Young, Brian Eno, The Smiths, Radiohead,
Psychedelic Furs. OVERALL: If you are looking for a break from the normal
songwriting styles of today and you want to find a new audio experience
in a local band that sounds like they have what it takes to
make it big in a euro-pop society……..check it out!