Tom Harrington – Be There Soon (2022)
Through the tracks of his EP Be There Soon, Tom Harrington is taking listeners on a layered musical journey. Bringing a touch of escapism, he offers us all an outlet from the world, while conveying a central message of love. Relaxed and soulful, his coastal folk music brings raw and honest insights into emotions and thoughts.
With each track, Harrington uses sincerity and musical purity to help listeners connect with what he has to say and the overall story of the EP. Following the success of his previous releases, this debut EP showcases the emotional prowess of his music. If you are looking for a collection of songs that can take you away from reality for a beautiful journey, this is definitely the one to listen to.
The title track ‘Be There Soon’ opens the EP and the beautiful roll of acoustic guitar chords. The early morning feeling of the opening line gives way to a more lively movement. There is such a happy vibe to the music that you instantly feel a smile start to form on your lips. Harrington’s vocals are rich as he bumps you with his shoulders and offers a sense of comfort. While there is an undeniable feeling of companionship through the music, this is tempered with a sense of journeying back to where a loved one is. Woven into the lyrics and music is a gentle love song that is packed with the gentle emotions you feel whenever you are around someone you care for.
‘Unexplainable Things’ retains the easy movement of his folk sound, but brings an enjoyable light breeze to the sound. The acoustic guitar that fills the main line of the melody is softened further, like fluffy clouds drifting across the sky. There is a light feeling of awe in his vocals as he realises the positive effect one person can have on our souls. The music is packed with a really uplifting feeling that takes a weight off your shoulders. This feeling is intertwined with the affection you feel for someone who has brought light to your life and makes you feel happy whenever they are around. The loving feeling that started in the opening track continues in this one, with a slightly different vibe.
Harrington’s vocals croon through the opening of ‘Walls’, bringing a more twilight feeling to the song. As his vocals draw you in, they take you to a moment where you sit with someone you care about by an open fire. The stripped-back arrangement of the melody through the opening adds an emotive power to the song. The light twinkling tones that come through as the track progresses is like the burst of affection you feel as you realise you are falling in love. Through the lyrics, he details what he is feeling, before touching on the walls the person he cares about has put up. As you work through the track, the walls start to come down and he considers the process that both have to go through to achieve this. It is an uplifting track that makes you feel better about the walls we have up and the long process we face when we start taking them down.
‘Moving In’ picks up the stripped-back acoustics of the last track and adds even more emotion into each note. Harrington’s vocals are raw as they reach into your chest and squeeze your heart. While the other tracks of the EP have an uplifting vibe, there is a bone-deep sadness woven into this one. This contrast of emotion makes the track even more poignant, as the welling despair is stark compared to the happiness of love. Through the lyrics, you are taken on the painful journey of the end of a relationship which is made even more emotional through the rising strings. The pained growls of the vocals in the latter parts of the track tear at your emotions and leave you feeling as raw as Harrington did when he wrote the song.
The EP comes to an end with ‘Turquoise’ and its progressive opening that slowly rises in volume from silence. There is a real coastal vibe to this track that makes you think of the cool breeze that sweeps over the ocean and soothes your warm skin. The roll of the drums fills you with good vibes, while the guitars get you swaying to their happy movement. The strings come in with a pleasant twirl that enhances the positive vibes of the song. At one point, the melody drops for the vocals to take over, before the earthy drums tap against your senses. The horns that shine through at this time bring a deep richness to the track, while transporting you to a happy place.
Tom Harrington takes you away from life for a moment and fills you with the generally positive emotions of his EP Be There Soon. Each track carries the raw coastal folk sound he has become known for, while getting you to relax into the soundscape. While most of the tracks have a positive and affectionate vibe, the contrast of the deep despair of ‘Moving In’ is amazing.
Find out more about Tom Harrington on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
