Robert's Review of Song About a Train by Thomas Flannery

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This album opens like a mountain stream formed by two delicately moving acoustic guitars and backed by the sweeping winds of an organ followed by Tom's plaintive voice of lost love for land of Emerald Isle. "Merle Song" is just the start of a thoughtful album of fine songs. Thomas Flannery is a singer songwriter of Irish heritage from the coal mines of Eastern Pennsylvania and he sings of small towns, labor troubles, generations of family, and love. But he also sings of moshing with David Crosby!

Flannery is a prolific songwriter with a previous album about his coal mining heritage. His album can be ordered from his web site - www.kikomusic.com. The album features his vocals and acoustic guitar on original songs backed up by some exceptionally tasty keyboards by John Ginty and very nice guitar and dobro work by Neal Casal.

"Blame it on the Death of Charles Kuralt" is a bouncy ode to small town life with funky organ and electric guitar solos. Here's a man who has a made a clear choice of life styles. This should get all sorts of airplay on college stations and deserves to be heard on adult alternative.

"Johnson's Station" is a haunting song of labor troubles and the overrunning of a town by a company and lost labor dues.

"Cindys Around" is a delicate little tune that praises the entry of Autumn. This song is a rare anthem to the ending of the heat of summer, built around delicate simple little lines on the piano and guitar.

"Clarksdale Whistle Blues" opens with the guitar pounding down and then quiets down to a dobro vamping along in a poetic song of lost love, ball and chains, a wolf's cry, and the loneliness man who knows he brought on himself.

"Feel Like Coming Home" is an upbeat number with a Dylanesque tint to the voice that catches in your mind - a great driving song.

"I'm Gonna Fade Away" is a soft quiet song about wanting to fade away after being embarrassed.

"Angeline" is a song of blind faith in love with some nice harmony that sweetens the rolling piano and sad story.

The title song "Song About a Train" evokes the small town life and history that carries a person through.

"Steve Earle Blues" is a sad poetic view on the destructive qualities of fame and fortune in the live now attitude of the star machine. A nice melodica part adds a refreshing spice to the acoustic guitars.

"Pettigrew" starts with a haunting dobro then the acoustic guitar seeps through with voice that brings out a rare vision of danger and hostility that unfortunately has the outlet. The old story of pain brought on when heritage and family meet the changes inevitably brought on by the impersonal civilization and corporate efficiency.

"Moshing with David Crosby" - not a pretty picture is it but the song is not a joke but a poignant take on aging of the sixties and the birthing of alternatives' nineties.

"Rescue Me" is a Springsteen like acoustic rocker about waiting for the weekend and waiting for freedom and waiting for a little girl to rescue me. This one will have you jumping along.

"When You Pass Me By" closes out the album with another tune about Eire but this with a more recent view and warm memories.

A album that flows together well with solid playing and a mellow tone that is a little serious and melancholy but human throughout. Definitely worth checking out.



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