A self-released venture, Forever Home keys in as the debut solo album from Tom Shotton, who resides in South London, England.
Governed by a choice coupling of personable vocals and industrious piano passages, the 10-track collection sounds like Billy Joel interacting with Rupert Holmes, supported by occasional input from Steely Dan.
Along with great singing and keyboard movements, Forever Home is embroidered with tasty string and horn arrangements. Grand and glossy melodies additionally plaster the material, which establishes this singer, songwriter and multiple-instrumentalist’s bent for producing entertaining pop rock songs possessing elegance and electricity.
Bubbly rhythms and a harmonic sheen power the perpetually punchy “Oh Angelina!,” and the title cut of the album is an expansive piano-driven piece, blooming with beauty, magnetism and naked emotion.
Devised of jaunty hooks and a giddy tempo, “Hold On to the Best Times” bounces to a glint of vaudeville charm, where “Back Home” proves to be another lively tune, hopping to a swinging groove accompanied by brass orchestration and references to “Dancing in the Street,” the Motown classic from Martha and the Vandellas.
Then there’s “What Becomes of the Broken Hearts,” which is an economic but thoroughly efficient ballad featuring row after row of pretty piano notes, a soul-baring vocal performance and a heavenly chorus.
Having taken late ’70s and early ’80s AM radio values and retooled such ingredients into an identity of his own, Shotton has recorded a jewel of an album. “Forever Home” is so right on the pitch that it will be hard to top, but considering how gifted Tom Shotton is, hopefully there will be plenty more goodies to follow.
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