Pure fire on the dancefloor, Tom Block gets the party started with the anthemic “Golden Days MMXX EP”. The taut energy runs through the whole of the EP making it work as a fully cohesive statement. Bass here in particular anchors the sound helping to lend it just the slightest bit of funk into the wild unhinged spirit. Tom Block’s vocals though serve as the true highlight of the EP for the way he rides the beat lends it a timelessness to it, with a classic cool radiating throughout.
His vocals have an anxious art punk delivery to them, recalling the lyricism of Mayo Thompson and David Byrne. In terms of pure cadence Tom Block’s voice appears to be a dead ringer for the sly dry wit of James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem. Nor do the LCD Soundsystem comparisons end there for even the riffs have a bit of that same barely contained giddiness. Backup vocals further lend credence to this ideal. Going further though he proves to have a rather eclectic taste for the usage of Italo Disco influences is a nice touch, for his approach adds to that genre’s sense of pure glee. Even his delivery in Italian further adds to the mystique he’s created, with the approach
Not a moment is wasted for he starts things off immediately on the sheer physicality of “Setup”. A Gorillaz-like mantra emerges out of this groove while the entirety of the piece gradually works itself up into an absolute frenzy. The guitar’s infectious rhythm perfectly meshes with the synthesizer as the finale goes for a hypnotic rhythm. “Golden Days” serves as the true heart and soul of the entire EP, so nice Tom visits it twice. Melodies here simply stun for the tenderness of the storytelling gives it a romantic quality. With such a tight indie rock funk, Tom touches upon the playful spirit of Austin natives Spoon in terms of its sheer catchiness.
A lovely blissful take unfurls on the ambitious scope of “La Mia Dragone”. Rather smooth the lush arrangement gives it a mixture of electro, dance, and a hint of lounge jazz to fully round off the approach. Bass here hits particularly sweetly as the piece has a dazed, dreamy quality. Four to the floor beats close off the album with the cinematic sweeps of “Golden Days – Grieffson Remix”. A yearning desire seems to be woven right into the remix’s very DNA resulting in something deeply moving.
Tom Block offers joyous communal grooves on the celebratory “Golden Days MMXX EP”.
