DIVISIONISM– THE NEW ALBUM FROM THE TOMATOES

 

The New Orleans-based Tomatoes don’t really need to take shit from anybody. Judging by their last album, Trendy, they are doing just fine. Hints of ’90s greats like Soul Asylum, a rock and roll wonder like Tom Petty and the Boss can be heard throughout their sound, and they know how to construct a good song. Divisionism’s “Harvest,” for example, is a stripped down song that deals with soul crushing loneliness. Though the subject matter could lend itself to a boring song, “Harvest” doesn’t lack substance at all. There’s a perfect balance of sound and silence, which lets the song get under your skin and lets you feel the loneliness. However, towards the end it picks up with a heavy riff and allows the release of pent up emotion. They can also construct a damn good rock song as well. “When The Walls Come Down” and “Vendetta” both have enough snarl to be reminiscent of classic punk, but they don’t overpower. Everything is balanced and they aren’t afraid to experiment with style either. “Feeling Right,” a song about the rat race that can be daily life, is monotonous and pounds into your head, much like the typical work day. They also sing songs about giving yourself up to machinery (“The Futurist”) and about how swell paranoia can be (“Death Ray Days”). One of the beautiful things about The Tomatoes is the consistency of their music. You can’t listen to them and pick out single things that sound great, such as “well, the guitarist really shines in this song,” or “the lyrics are really sophisticated in this one.” The members feed off each other and create a packaged sound. That would be terrible if The Tomatoes were a mediocre band but luckily they aren’t. They’re solid on all fronts and Divisionism is another addition to their solid discography. — Caroline DeBruhl, Antigravity Magazine