Finland, soul native, Tuomo has it!
He's an RnB singer/songwriter that capitalizes on his obvious giftedness. As a talented songwriter, instrumentalist, touring artist, and producer, Tuomo harnesses great music and production on his album, My Thing.
He's no secret in his native hometown of Helsinki. He even has followers strewn across the globe, ranging from Germany to Japan. But his American audience is limited - I'm guessing, not for long though.
My Thing is carefully crafted with soundscapes lifted from the best of Motown. It's part vintage RnB, part new soul, and all sexy. The genre, composed of huge bands, auxiliary sounds, and layered vocals, lends itself to muddiness and over-complication, but Tuomo succeeds song after song. Each instrument is seamlessly placed to pop-perfection standards.
My Thing, the title track, grips the listener with a tight percussive groove, backed by funk guitar riffs and lifts with gripping and melodic vocals. Don't Take It Too Hard takes you back to the 60's and 70's, sounding like a great Stevie Wonder track. Both 26 and Puddle of Love croon simplistically written verses and choruses that intertwine catchy vocal runs with more sparse instrumentation and harmonies. I'd imagine these two tracks making Justin Timberlake jealous he didn't write them first.
Other notable tracks are Sorry When I'm Gone and It's You, different stylistically, but both pleasing to the listener.
Tuomo is understanding of what it takes to compose a successful piece of art, and he does so with ease.
The overall production value is impeccable and the instrumentation sits exactly where its needed. Please do yourself a huge favor and pick up a copy of Tuomo's album, My Thing. You'll be happy you did. Check him out online at www.tuomomusic.com
RATING: 5 of 5 stars
