Tom's Cafe

Album Review

James F. Curley's career is in many ways typical for a folk-rock singer/songwriter in the early 21st century. Born in 1957, he was on-stage with an acoustic guitar in his hands by his teens in the 1970s, yet he has been a journeyman, living and playing around the country for decades, and the self-released Tom's Cafe is his debut album at age 45. There isn't a lot of money in folk music from a record company point of view, but there are plenty of clubs for a performer with a guitar, a good voice, and some catchy songs who is willing to travel. The songs on Tom's Cafe are also typical, especially in the sense that the music is eclectic. Curley incorporates other musical styles into his approach; he's not afraid to rock out occasionally, notably in the reflection on the ravages of cocaine that is "The Hunt," and he gets a lot of mileage out of added instruments such as the accordion that accentuates the memories in the title song and the Dobro that gives a jaunty tone to the crime fantasy "I Jumped Bail." He knows that, when you write an ironic love-loss song like "Time I Broke Your Heart," you should put a Dylan-style organ part in the arrangement. And he seems to have done time as a children's entertainer, if the novelty "Flies" (sung from the point of view of a frog) is any indication. Tom's Cafe thus serves as a resumé for a performer who has been around and played many variations on his basic guy-with-a-guitar style. Chances are, if you catch him in a club nearby, you'll have a good time listening to songs that will make you sigh, then chuckle, then rock in your seat. After that, you might want to pick up a copy of this album as a souvenir. Or you could anticipate the experience by going to www.jamesfcurley.com.