Tom Cooney - Presque Vu

TOM COONEY
Presque Vu

A couple of years ago, Brisbane’s Tom Cooney packed in his job to record a mini-album. While it may have been a brave move, considering how acoustic singer/songwriters are two-a-penny, it turned out to be a well-judged act of self-belief and led to appearances with M Ward and Fionn Regan and slots at Splendour and Homebake. And so his debut full-length record arrives, promising much.

Cooney is very much of the Damien Rice school of adult folk. His songs are carefully constructed and, like Rice, he brings in female vocals and strings when necessary. Another similarity is the intimacy of his lyrics; they are certainly written from the heart. The only small problem though is that, while gentle strumming and wistful words about love are all very pleasant, Presque Vu almost seems a bit too polite. Cooney’s vocal is lovely and warm, but it remains frustratingly held back too much of the time. It would have been nice to hear him open up his lungs and get more emotional or angry: anything to give an edge to his soft tones. The few times he does show heightened animation, swearing amid the rumbling drums and bowed guitar of Beneath The Wheel and lamenting on the stripped-back Silence, represent the album’s strongest moments.

More of this would have been nice, but there is still plenty to admire in the mild atmosphere Cooney has created, and if you like your folk gentle, pleasant and honest, then this largely impressive debut will be right up your alley.