DIY ethics hold what proves to be a bedroom recorded debut together, making TRISTAN OMAND'S nine-track album 'Tolled Stories' a solo effort in every sense of the word
The bespectacled and besuited young troubador and would-be author doesn't look much like your archetypal Manc; then again this is Manchester New Hampshire we're talking about here.
Despite his comparitive youth, the 24-year old is a live circuit veteran with more than 350 gigs under his belt.
Fast-paced high-stimulus opener 'This Is All Happening' shoots out of the traps in a blaze of harmonica, setting the tone for an album that unfolds at breakneck speed.
Dizzy melancholy radiates from the record's numerous gems ie: the breathtaking 'Broken Hearted Woman' and the regrettably short, blindingly fast ditty 'Last Words'.
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Omand's Rootsy and raw-boned alt-country is trance-inducing and frequently off-the-wall, but right on the money. The bittersweet intrigue and sheer beauty comfirm 'Philandering In A Ghost Town' as arguably the album's high point two tracks from the end, though poignant final offering 'Not Goin' Far' runs it every step of the way.
Indicative of a level of maturity that defies his comparitive youth, this is an excellent debut from a strong and clearly talented performer.
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