As the brains behind the
Phil Spector-inspired
Saturday Looks Good to Me,
Fred Thomas is a musician who always seems to be working diligently on the next project or promoting current releases. With such a demanding schedule, one might think a solo release would lack some of the quality of a group record.
Turn It Down, the second full solo release by
Thomas, is just the opposite. Many of the ingredients found on
SLGTM albums are very apparent on
Thomas' solo works, such as lyrical pleas from a boy desperate to win the girl of his dreams, the occasional stripped-down acoustic song, and the faster after-school dance tracks. No
SLGTM fan will be disappointed with
Turn It Down, a mix of all those ingredients whose songs range from minimal ballads to blaring guitar-heavy tracks. "Come Back" is one of the album's top songs, with delicate guitars and a string section creating a soothing background of sounds for
Thomas' narrative lyrics: "I laid in the grass/For a year and a half/For you to come back." The vulnerability of
Thomas' voice comes through with such power that you can't help but think of someone you care for. "Might Not" showcases
Thomas' ability to address the feelings of insecurity that many individuals feel. He starts the song out slowly and simply, and continually builds it into a more complex track, adding synthesizers and percussion along the way, much like the tambourines that give way to electric guitars in "Throw Me a Line." Looking back toward the rock & roll of the 1950s and early '60s, "Your Car" is fast and upbeat, with acoustic guitars leading the way and contrasting with electric guitar wails, as
Thomas mixes the sounds of both
Buddy Holly and
the Everly Brothers in a modern fashion. As an album,
Turn It Down is a solid portfolio of work that once again presents
Thomas as both a solo artist and master of music artistry, and proves he can hold his own without
Saturday Looks Good to Me. ~ Alicia Denyes Dorset