Popular music these days often is swash of catchy lyrics and melodies and hardly exhibits any tactful insight or skilled composition. Repetition and samples of already famous riffs rule the airwaves and pop stars are a dime a dozen, but when you stumble upon an ingenious artist like Tom Brislin, it makes their music all the better.
Tom Brislin, the keyboard virtuoso and lyrical genius behind New Jersey melodic, electro-pop rock band Spiraling, is working on a new solo album to be released before the end of 2011. Brislin said he left the full-band format to play alone in 2009, but has always been a solo songwriter. With his powerful keyboard riffs and soothing vocals, Brislin has toured and played keys for many big names such as Yes, Meat Loaf and OK Go.
After a rush of new songwriting, he said he officially started working on the album in 2010, but after moving and touring he put off recording for a while. He began focusing on it again and launched a Kickstarter campaign this past June, which reached its goal in less than a month. Kickstarter.com is a website used for funding a variety of creative projects, where fans and supporters can pledge money at different levels and be rewarded with different incentives laid out by each campaign's creator(s).
Brislin said he now has about 40 songs to record in addition to the album, and his music is headed in a new direction.
"Any sound I like is fair game, but it really starts with the song and the piano; that's how I write," he said. "Sometimes I'll build a completely different sonic landscape if the song is pulling me in a certain direction."
On Oct. 3, he posted sneak peek track "Your Favorite Day" on his Kickstarter page to update supporters on his recording status. The song is reminiscent of blissful childhood memories and has all the essentials of a perfectly enjoyable summer day. The tempo starts slow but with gusto, slowly drops then picks up pace leading into the chorus. His vocals are charming and on point.
Brislin released his own version of "Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson earlier this year as an experiment with the video-song format popularized on YouTube by indie duo Pomplamoose. His rendition is a playful, electro-funk style cover. His other new track, "When You Told Me Not To Go," is a vocal piano ballad with a string section, and it evocates a dissonant style heard in some older Spiraling tracks. He said his solo album will have elements of both worlds and other sound avenues, and his goal is to move people, meaningfully.
"I grew up treasuring certain albums, and they almost always bring back good memories," Brislin said. "My aim is to make something like that for someone else."
Busy recording the album, Brislin said he hasn't started building a tour yet, but will be playing everywhere possible after its release, including Austin.
To listen to his new solo work, Spiraling or to support his new album, visit tombrislin.com for streaming tracks and contact information.
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