Everybody’s Watching by Tommy Romero
Released on 19/11/2021
some singles were exclusively released on ABR ( Runaway Girl, Rock No More, Mystery Cat, Everybody Watchin’ )
Reviewed on 02/02/2022
Reviewed by Holger E.
The Band: Tommy – Drums and Vocals, Noah ”The Black Jack Baby” - Guitar and Max on Bass
So out comes this Trio from a place where Heidi and Jodeling started on top of snow covered Mountains.
Sorry could not help myself but seriously this young Rockabilly Trio from Switzerland (Bern) brings new energy to the dance floor. So not only does Tommy have a good taste in food (he was a Chef), he discovered a fine taste for 50’s music and is serving it straight to your legs and hips. Only founded in 2019 this Trio made already an impact on the Rock&Roll Scene in Switzerland. But enough of the history lets get in to the songs.
Track by Track
1.: Catch: Nice easy track to start you off. Subtle Bass that just lifts the Drums to the foreground which are rollin’ symphony. The Guitar starts off nice and easy and screaming half way through the track in a mix of Setzer and Roy Clark.
2.: Cheatin’ One: Noah is driving this song on and on with his Guitar that you just have to bop. Accompanied by the smooth Bass of Max, Tommy is laying down some awesome drumming. This gives you the whole package to bring out the best from Tommy’s jiving vocals.
3.: Oh Darlin’: Slightly slower number with neat Acoustic Guitar with Drums and Bass just a step in the background to bring you a Love song that is inspired by the 50’s ( a little bit of Buddy Holly)but does not sound old.
4.: One Man Woman: Here comes a Hammond Organ. Grab your Girl and have a slow dance. A cool Brass section in the background that pops to the front a few times during the song keeps this track interesting.
It’s a nice mix between Big Band and Great Entertainer.
5.: From The Bottom To The Top: 50’s Rock&Roll with a dash of Boogie-Woogie and the flair of the 80’s Rock&Roll and manifested with a Brass Section and the Organ to give it the Tommy Romero twist. You can feel the Crowed dacing to it. The vocals on this track came from no other than Max.
6.: Everybody’s Watchin’: Going back to basics. Solid Drums that are not overpowering with some smooth Bass riffs and a finger shredding Guitar to help along the track that a women's heard will melt. Nice harmonic background vocals that helps lifting Tommy’s vocals to the next level.
7.: Mystery Cat: Fast up-beat track that tries to catch the Cat. This Cat is as agile as Tommy Romero. Around every corner a new surprise. Super clean Drums to push the song forward and help the Bass to stand out a bit. Together they just put down the foundation for the Guitar and to get your legs moving.
8.: Rock No More: This is definitely a comeback from the late 70’s or early 80’s. It sounds fun and is full of energy that keeps you going like a Can of RedBull. These 3 are working in perfect harmony.
9.: Different Eyes: My favourite. Fast and brutally honest like Neo-Rockabilly with a bunch of fingerpicking Guitar, Jazz and some Hillbilly. This makes you understand why Tommy gave up his day job.
10.: Oldschool Lover Boy: Her shines Tommy Romero the Trio as pure Entertainer and you can picture it on a massive stage with a Big Band in the background.
11.: Runaway Girl: The most melodic and harmonic track on the Album. Just to make sure you do not underestimate the Trio in their capability of songwriting and composing self penned songs.
Summary: So here we are moving from the frying pan into the fryer. I believe we can expect more in the coming years and by then Tommy Romero has set his own style in stone. The Trio is not stuck on one particular style or era which is a good thing. It’s the small but important things that makes Tommy Romero different. So put your hand together and hope that we see Tommy Romero travel a lot more around Europe and England.
Track listing:
1.: Catch
2.: Cheatin’ One
3.: Oh Darlin’
4.: One Man Woman
5.: From The Bottom To The Top
6.: Everybody’s Watchin’
7.: Mystery Cat
8.: Rock No More
9.: Different Eyes
10.: Oldschool Lover Boy
11.: Runaway Girl
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