Teddy Thompson

TEDDY THOMPSON
"BELLA"
(Verve Forecast, 2011)


You know what I like about artists like Randall Bramblett and Teddy Thompson? It usually takes awhile for me to get to like their albums ... and yes, I mean that as a compliment. You see, with the attention spans of the American public whittling away more with every generation (and my patience for them seemingly eroding just as quickly), the music business appears to be preoccupied with grabbing the listener by the ears as quickly as possible with the catchiest nugget of ear candy that mathematical formulas and test audience feedback can cook up.

That's not to say that Teddy Thompson's southern-tinged (you'd never know he's British by listening to him) folk-rock is never energetic. Indeed, the upbeat tunes may even outnumber the tranquil ones on his latest album. "The Next One" seems groomed for AOR radio play, and there's a jaunty syncopation to "The One I Can't Have" which, together with the equally lively opening track "Looking For a Girl", show that his wry humor is still in fine form. Jenni Muldaur lends her vocal talents to the duet "Tell Me What You Want", and the album's more subdued moments come in the fine ballads "Delilah" and "Over And Over", and the delicate acoustic number "Home".

While I'll never outgrow the appeal of a fun pop tune that hits me over the head with its hook, I'll always appreciate the gentle and gradual pull of a singer-songwriter's subtle melody. Not only is it refreshing to hear an act that seems to want to take its own sweet time in turning on the listener (these kinds of artists are few and far between in my library, at least for now), but their "time-release" tunes serve to remind me not only that I've still got some patience, but also that patience is a virtue ... and can often be rewarded with songs that one grows to enjoy fondly.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

Teddy Thompson

TEDDY THOMPSON
"A PIECE OF WHAT YOU NEED"
(Verve Forecast, 2008)


"In My Arms"*


I became aware of Teddy Thompson (son of veteran folk musicians Richard and Linda Thompson) by way of Rufus Wainwright, with whom he regularly collaborates, each making regular appearances on the other's albums. Until now, Teddy has been a rather subdued, semi-country-tinged (indeed, his last album was a collection of covers of classic country songs), folk-pop singer-songwriter. But all that time spent around the flamboyant Rufus appears to finally have had an effect on Teddy's music.

The ironic thing is that this is the first of his albums to which Rufus has made no contributions. With all the added flourishes, from the glassy echo of piano ("Turning The Gun On Myself") to the bouncy oom-pah of a brass section ("One Of These Days"), one could easily be led to think he was all over it.

The subject matter in Teddy's songs may still be somewhat sullen at times, but the instrumentation and arrangements frequently have a liveliness and catchiness to them that's quite uncharacteristic of what we've come to expect from him. Sometimes it hits you right from the start ("What's This?!!", "Jonathan's Book") and sometimes it sneaks up on you ("Can't Sing Straight", "The Things I Do"), but this album is an engaging and enjoyable listen from beginning to end. If you've ever even thought about checking out Teddy Thompson, this album is the perfect place to start, 'cause it's his best yet.

*Link provided by Sneak Attack Media, Teddy Thompson's promoter.