Embodying the passionate mentality of New England, Boston-based Americana outfit Old Tom & The Lookouts have spent the better part of a decade showcasing their talents and impressing the masses with every release. Their upcoming album “Northeastern” promises to be their most emotionally evocative collection to date, as the group strives to explore the universal experiences that shape us all through the lens of the community that has helped to shape them. In anticipation of their upcoming record, their latest single “Your Town”, released October 18th, shines a thematic beacon of the sentimentality their newest music promises to deliver. Upbeat, tonally deliberate, and lyrically poignant, it takes listeners on a journey with every note.
An optimistic chord progression slams through an acoustic guitar to begin the piece and we immediately feel the tonal identity of the anthem. Frontman Alex Calabrese quickly begins the narrative. With a rustic tambour to his vocal demeanor, he bellows “Got pulled over east of your town headed east on 81. The sky looks bigger the further south you go, just look up.” Through his delivery, we truly feel the connection between the artist and their art in every verse as he delivers a slice-of-life story while reflecting on his community’s way of life. Repeating the line “Just look up” throughout the song, we feel more motivated each time to appreciate the world around us with each iteration.
In reflecting on the message of their music, Calabrese states “There’s a culture of struggling silently. People drown their emotions in alcohol or drugs because we’re not talkers. But it’s a cycle that needs to be broken.” If the introspection offered in “Your Town” is any indication of what’s to come, fans can only wait with great anticipation to see how much these artists can truly say with a full album devoted to the cause.
Written by Nick Gumas
