In 2006, Tobias Cummings released his critically acclaimed debut album, Join the Dots which was nominated for the Australian Music Prize. Cummings’ highly anticipated follow up, A Trophy was produced by the legendary Tim Whitten (Go Betweens, Powderfinger, Augie March).
A Trophy is gutwrenchingly beautiful. Cummings sings with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But rather than pushing a burdenous collective of love and longing, the tales on this album distill relentlessness and fighting spirit. On another site, one reviewer carelessly threw the Chris Martin reference at this record. Yes, the man has a penchant for pianos and an expansive vocal bravado, but he serves up more narrative veracity than any of that lethargic X&Y bullshit.
Tracks like ‘Busy Bees’ and ‘Exegesis’ offer a window of jovial relief to the overall sombre tone of the record, but do seem nothing more than a distraction to serious business. These are well crafted, but that Joshua Tree conditioning on ‘Busy Bees’ seems to lack the speculative aura of ‘You’ve Always Had That Insight’ and ‘The Judge’.
‘Sweetest Poetry’ and ‘Goldmine’ are definite standouts. However, picking apart tracks doesn’t do A Trophy much justice. Join The Dots was no doubt a solid debut, but Cummings has definitely found his home on this album. Crafting a sense of yearning that stings like lemon juice to an open wound, A Trophy is a tour-de-force that shakes with unexpected conviction. A magnificent storyteller. One of the best releases this year, surely.
‘A Trophy’ will be released through Departed Sounds/Other Tongues on the Wednesday the 1st of September.
www.myspace.com/tobiascummings
‘A TROPHY’ TOUR DATES:
MELBOURNE – Saturday 18th September, The Worker’s Club with Ancient Free Gardeners, Brendan Welch
ADELAIDE – Sunday 26th September, Ed Castle with Chris Lloyd and London Road Poets
SYDNEY – Sunday 3rd October, Raval with Jamie Hutchings (Blue Bottle Kiss)
MELBOURNE – Friday 29th October, Bella Union (Trades Hall) with The Tiger & Me
August 17, 2010 5:16 pm
I think you got a bit gutwrenchingly excited about this song/album.
Constructively, I would offer the viewpoint that your article sounded like a verbal wank.
After avoiding the wet patches and actually listening to the album, I was not entirely impressed.
I don’t know how you can make claims like calling coldplay’s “X and Y” lethargic bullshit. It seems like you’re just looking for something to write about and use some nice big words so you can over-intellectualise a piece of music.
If you rate this one of the best release this year, maybe youre the magnificant storyteller.
August 17, 2010 9:28 pm
Hi Edward. If you want to hear nice things about Coldplay and read one line reviews that cater to your illiteracy, enlighten me and try fan forums instead.
August 17, 2010 10:33 pm
How does me reading fan forums enlighten you? If anything, it would do the opposite.
Matt Hickey does some one liners, and they’re sweet. I think one liners are far better than a short story that depicts a girl that talks because she wants to talk, not because she has anything useful to say.
August 18, 2010 10:59 am
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
August 18, 2010 11:17 am
Where did you hear the LP, Ed?
August 18, 2010 9:50 pm
I’d just like to point out that while it’s cool to hate Coldplay irrationally if you’re in the blogsphere, ‘Viva La Vida’ was actually a fucking amazing album.
Maybe I’m crazy. However, there’s no need to take digs at a band referencing their worst album. Most bands have their peaks and troughs. Way to kick a donkey when it’s down.