{"id":15853,"date":"2021-06-23T05:00:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T05:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=15853"},"modified":"2021-06-19T19:56:34","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T19:56:34","slug":"tommy-ray-handful-of-hits-gadm-beluga-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=15853","title":{"rendered":"Tommy Ray \u2013 \u2018Handful Of Hits\u2019 (GAdM\/Beluga Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>With his Portland based band The Cry on hiatus, singer\/songwriter Tommy Ray has been busy channeling his music into various projects over the last couple of years. Following an album release from his street punk side project The Decayed, and his most excellent 2020 long player \u2018First Hits Free\u2019, Tommy wastes no time delivering his sophomore solo album \u2018Handful Of Hits\u2019 to the rock n\u2019 roll world.<\/p>\n

Seen as a companion album to the aforementioned \u2018First Hits Free\u2019, this new collection of songs is as honest, gritty and 4 real as you wanna get.<\/p>\n

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So what does our leather clad, feather-haired rock n\u2019 roll singer offer this time around?\u00a0 Well, these are simple songs from the heart, with themes that cover his ongoing mental health struggles, and the trials and tribulations of modern life, and how to lose the girl you wanna love.<\/p>\n

\u2018Handful Of Hits\u2019 is a solo album in every respect. Tommy wrote everything, played everything and self-produced this album. And what a gloriously ramshackle collection of songs we have here. Going by his \u201cDon\u2019t bore us, get to the chorus\u201d mantra, Tommy references The Exploding Hearts, Ramones and The Beach Boys as influences in his songwriting, and his love of 3-minute pop songs is always evident. You see Tommy Ray has a knack for penning a melody or two and understands the fine art of a catchy chorus.<\/p>\n

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Opener \u2018In Love Again\u2019 is a jangly, power pop anthem straight outta \u201877. It has an instant chorus and a sense of immediacy to it. There\u2019s a sense of euphoria that goes perfectly with the lyrical theme of falling in love feeling like the first time every time.<\/p>\n

The honest lyricism throughout the album is to the point. Getting laid (sometimes failing) and getting fucked up (never seeming to fail at that one!). You see like Johnny Thunders before him, Tommy Ray exudes the self-destruction blues, but you can tell he is just a soppy romantic at heart.<\/p>\n

Rebelling with teenage kicks and trying to win the girl that is out of your league are the order of the day. The likes of \u2018Closer To You\u2019 and lead single \u2018No, No, No, No\u2019 are testament to that.<\/p>\n