Here at Rock & Roll Rehab we've dedicated ourselves to bringing attention to talented musicians and writers who may have fallen through the cracks (like us, The Tooners) but deserve to have their music listened to. When I was asked to give a listen to the English Folk Rock band Tumbler's new CD "Come To The Edge" I didn't realize that they're exactly what we usually want to promote on the site. Read the review below which was written before I watched their documentary on Youtube then read below that how I reacted once I knew THE TRUTH.
The First Review:
The British alt rock/folk rock trio Tumbler's new CD "Come To The Edge" is described in their press kit as "a project". Since Tumbler consists of Harry
Grace on vocals and guitar, Richard Grace also on vocals and guitar and Dave Needham on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals and there is no mention of a drummer, I assume Tumbler is a recording project and not an actual live band. Of course that could change but then they'd have to hire a horn section if they want to reproduce the arrangement of their song "Nothing To Hold You" and a harmonica player for "Sweetest Thing". The string sections on many of the tracks I guess could be covered by Dave's keyboards but Tumbler would have a difficult time reproducing the lush sound of their CD live with just the three of them.
What I'm getting at is that this isn't just a vanity project recorded by a couple of guys in their family rumpus room on a laptop but a very well arranged, well played and well produced and very professional sounding "project". I would prefer to refer to it as simply a CD. The vocals by Harry and Richard Grace who I'm assuming are brothers (although I've been wrong about that before) are youthful yet polished and have a lot of the sound of the current American Americana sound. Although Ray Davies' English Folk / Music Hall style is evident, to my Yankee ears Tumbler sounds very American both in vocal accents as well as beat and instrumentation. Avett Brothers and The Decemberists come to mind more than The Cure which their press kit listed as an influence.
Tracks such as "Joanne" take the CD into what I would consider "beautiful" territory, ethereal and haunting and with references to "the battlefield" and military drum rolls in the background it also has a bit of melancholy.
The track, "In Safe Hands" credited to Jim Grace (another Grace brother?) continues the overall sound but with a lead vocal reminiscent of a young Dylan or perhaps Mark Knopfler. If you don't happen to like Dylan or Knoplfler don't let that description discourage you from this track as I meant it as a compliment. He has a very pleasing and perhaps more distinctively "British" voice than the other two Graces (they're the Three Graces? That's a better name than Tumbler).
Closing track "Freedom The Cry" brings to mind some of the Eighties hits that sounded like old folk call to arms anthems or rallying cries complete with sound effects and sirens.
THEN I WATCHED THE DOCUMENTARY ON YOUTUBE!
Holy cow, was I wrong (again)? First of all, Richard is not Harry and Jim's brother, he's their FATHER! And he has four other sons as well. This is much more Rock & Roll Rehab terrain than I even imagined. Richard is one of the two lead singers, along with son Harry, so he completely faked me out when I said earlier how youthful the vocals sounded.
Richard Grace, AKA Pops.
At least I was right about this being a recording project as opposed to a live band, although with six sons he could certainly fill out a stage. This makes Dave Needham, who is listed as a "band member" but on the doc is shown to be the Producer, an extremely important aspect of this project. Dave appears to be the bass player, the horn section, the drummer and the strings, which is not uncommon in the Digital Age.
Dave Neeham, producer and everything else.
My question is: who is this Richard Grace guy, where did he come from, musically speaking? Is he yet another Baby Boomer who got high and jammed in his kitchen with his friends before growing his own band (children) and never was heard outside of his own home? Or am I yet again showing my ignorance by not knowing that he was a member of some English Prog band back in the day? I find it heartbreaking to think there are such talented, and now very well seasoned writer, singers and musicians who will have lived entire lifetimes without ever being heard. I also envy his being able to have such a great working relationship with his own children. The young musician kids of my old band buddies don't want to have anything to do with their fathers' style of music.
Harry Grace, the future of Tumbler.
Perhaps Harry Grace, Richard's son and the other lead singer and writer of Tumbler figures his dad's talent, experience, connections and money (I'm guessing Dad financed the CD) is worth being in a band with the old man. After all, he probably won't have to compete with him for Tumbler's groupies. Probably.
Give Tumbler a listen then buy some tracks here: http://tumblermusic.com/album/come-to-the-edge
You can thank me later.
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