Lomma - Torrey Pines

 

I know it is hard for musicians to reach fans and it is getting harder. Too many just seem to put albums on Spotify and hope to be discovered when there is nowhere less suited to breaking artists than the monolith that is the streaming site.

There is something desperately sad when an artist as good as Lomma is now three albums in and releases something as great as this and yet has 30 Facebook followers despite doing all the right things including a Bandcamp page and Soundcloud. It really is a crying shame.

Lomma is a one man affair, but this time he has help with some great drumming from Dustin Fernandez. Everything else is Evan Lominitzer and Torrey Pines is an absolutely wonderful album, as good as anything you will hear this year.

This is supposedly Bedroom Pop, but sounds as good and as professional as many studios would come up with. Its base may be Pop Rock, but there is so much more than that. Some may label the album Power Pop, but again there is far more depth.

If you listen to only one song, listen to Death Part 1 and prepare to be amazed. Lominitzer is from California and there is a real west coast feel to the vocal harmonies and those vocal harmonies across the album are amazing.

But the arrangements are just as great, at times unexpected and fitting the songs perfectly There is more than a hint of Psych Pop at times and even Surf. The solos are beautifully played. At times, I get the feeling that I did when I first heard The Orgone Box album all those years.

I could tell you about the nine songs in depth, but I'd much rather you across to Bandcamp and listen to the whole thing. I know there is na lot of faith in albums that I recommend. so I beseech you give it some ear time. It is only 28 minutes or so of your life, but an incredibly worthwhile 28 minutes.

If I were compiling my Best Of Year now and not at the end of this month, this would be Top 10 and a potential topper. Torrey Pines explains perfectly why I love Pop Rock and the beauty and melody that the genre provides. Wonderful!

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can also find the album at the links here. You may also want to up those Facebook numbers by following Lomma here.

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