Bombadil
(Ramseur)
Having seen Bombadil live, the band's full-length debut, A Buzz, A Buzz, can't help but disappoint-which is, really, just to say that on stage Bombadil is a spectacle to behold. The band of young North Carolinians who have yet to meet an instrument they don't like moves effortlessly through its own pools of sweat and electricity, meshing acoustic clatter with electric volume. It's live where whimsy meets urgency, where bombast meets subtlety, and where smiles never seem forced or choreographed.
The Bombadil on A Buzz, A Buzz reaches for the pyrotechnics of its live alter ego, but largely falls victim to the confines of the studio treatment. The record feels contained within the speakers. But that isn't always a bad thing. "One Two Three" rides a spare arrangement to a level of intimacy that also reveals a budding maturity in Bombadil's songwriting. Likewise, "Johnny," a fuller, but still simply composed song puts a happy-go-lucky bounce behind a song about self-mutilation, making an unlikely standout-both on A Buzz, A Buzz, and the band's self-titled EP. What results is the hint that perhaps Bombadil, like former label mates The Avett Bothers, could well ride a sentimental-on-tape/explosive-on-stage split straight to the hearts of thousands-and presumably, to the bank, too.
Standout Tracks: "One Two Three," "Johnny," "Three Saddest Words" BRYAN REED
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