It’s something magical about music that images a person, a place, a feeling so perfectly that it seems to be a world on its own. The new EP, *The Manic Phase, by Tom Minor does just that, it is a colourful, somewhat crazed postcard straight out of the centre of Soho and is devoted to a character as memorable as the tunes that carry it.
With the very opening notes of the title track you are carried away in a dust storm of retro charm. Imagine the flamboyant piano theatrics of Queen crashing into the sun drenched harmonies of The Beach Boys and you have some idea of this slightly tropical, totally infectious jump. But the airy sounding is deceptive. The Manic Phase plunges into the heart of the maze that is the human mind, and examines complexity with a wit and a warmth that is both personal and profound. This is a tasty contradiction of happy music and soulful inwardness that makes the song, and, in fact, the entire EP, so entrancing.
Minor is such a master story-teller that he creates the tragically comic image of Thievin Stephen, greater-than-life South London characters met in the pubs and on the street corners. Through the suggestive lyrics provided by Minor and the electric progression of the EP, one can almost smell the stale beer and taste the electric buzz of a Friday night. The music itself reflects this journey: it starts like a thrilling, maybe even a little bit disorderly circus procession (thanks to producer Teaboy Palmer, it has a Spector-like touch), with emotional piano, building harmonies, and instrumentation that grows as the songs progress.
The Manic Phase is not just a four song EP, it is a character study, a love letter to the manic energy of London and a testament to the unique artistry of Tom Minor. It is music that you tap your feet to and listen to wondering about the beautiful chaos of life and are left with a grin on your face and a weirdly familiar pang of missing people like Stevie – no matter where they are. Brilliantly painful, human collection.
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