Scottish act Tom McGuire & the Brassholes fully captivate across their third album, A Name For Everything I’ll Ever Be. Funky rhythmic grooves, passionate vocal swells, and expressive brass converge amidst personal thematic pursuits — especially inspired by the birth of frontman Tom McGuire’s child. The album explores adulthood tactfully in navigations from joy within parenthood to reflections on grief and self-worth. “Life is confusing and hard, but music is fun and great, so let’s talk about it whilst at the same time, getting down,” McGuire says.
The album commences with dynamic entrancement. The introduction weaves heartrending strings amidst spoken-word vocals that describe a love that’s real: “It just makes everything right.” The warming sense of adoration conveyed there then drives into a soulful blissfulness as “Deamons” appears. Brassy exuberance, funky guitar swipes, and soulful vocal radiance intertwine there with replay-inducing allure. “You’re never gonna get me, never gonna get me down,” McGuire’s sweltering vocals intertwine with harmonious backing reflections. The production doesn’t waste time in strutting an eclectic arsenal, from the fairy tale-like introduction and the rousing “Deamons” into the ardent howls within the invigorating, brass-stomping “Take My Money.”
Aptly titled, “Fun” is another showcase in contagious stylishness. Funky bass undercurrents and effervescent brass maneuvering drive into a catching vocal declaration — “I’m talking about fun! Don’t forget about that.” Wordless vocal enthusiasm then traverses into a jazzy brass swirl, slithering with ascending momentum and into a lively funk re-emergence. The ensuing “4th Floor” charms with a mixture of intrigue and brightness, excelling with a vocal delivery that’s delightfully debonair in its first half — and attains a cathartic entrancement throughout a wonderfully charismatic final minute, where soaring brass and twinkling piano join an uplifting vocal grip.
The album’s production consistently dazzles in its range of ardent immediacy and climactic build-ups. Amongst the album’s most energetic successes and a surefire example of the former, “Infinity” moves briskly into a gospel-like vocal layering that shifts between expansive brass-touched vibrancy and percussive-ready pit-pattering. “Not Where I Belong” is more indicative of momentum-filled awe, moving seamlessly from moody ruminations of a “wretched world” and a sense of not belonging into an impassioned embrace of home. “Sick~Well” concludes the album with riveting immersion, from its piano-set introduction into a final rousing send-off of shimmering brass and vocal energy. A Name For Everything I’ll Ever Be is a thorough success from Tom McGuire & the Brassholes, who are also embarking on a UK tour. Dates below:
September 5 – Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
September 6 – Beat Generator, Dundee
September 13 – Black Isle Calling, Munlochy
November 20 – The Brudenell, Leeds
November 21 – Manchester Academy 2, Manchester
November 22 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
November 27 – Islington Assembly Hall, London
November 28 – SWX, Bristol
