REVIEWS

Like jazz of the 50s and 60s, the New England folk scene sometimes seems to consist of such a tight-knit group of players that it’s tough to tell whose song it is you’re listening to. On any given new album, particularly in New Hampshire/Maine Tom Dean, Joyce Andersen, Tom Yoder and Don Campbell (to name the most proficient) show up all over each other’s CDs. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, on Dean’s latest release, the excellent Pennies, the presence of such folk royalty is enough to lift the album beyond your standard folk fare.

Let’s be clear. There is no middle-of-the-road folk. There’s Bob Dylan and then there’s bland. But throughout his career, even without the help of Andersen, etc., Dean has rarely fallen into that trap. Dylan, and Dean, understand that the stories in their songs aren’t about the singer. Sure, in many of the 10 songs on Pennies Dean is a character, but the message is more complex, more universal. Another guy with a guitar singing about a broken heart we don’t need. But in “The Streets of Montreal,” when Dean sings about returning to that city to walk in the shadow of an old, long-gone lover, the song isn’t about self-pity, it’s about a guy who lost it and understands it’s never coming back. “We’re made to think there’s always something else that we can try,” Dean sings behind the sad soprano sax of Charlie Jennison. “The things we do don’t change a thing, and this is the reason why I’m seeking absolution.”

Later, in one of the strongest songs on the album, Dean is joined by Andersen on “Escape and On You Go.” In back-and-forth vocals, they tell the story of a woman beaten by her man and a man nearly escaping death on the highway. Are they the people each of them sings about? The song never tells. But each of them deals with loneliness and the inability to change their life through denial as an escape. Hardly typical singer/songwriter fare

Dean and his songwriting partner George Wardwell have created a mature, and occasionally dark little album about aging and the consequences of having regrets. Dean’s voice is light and mellow, as always, but Pennies has a strength under the surface that gives Dean’s gentle voice urgency, and makes the album a stand-out.

--- Dan J. Szczesny - Hippo Press

Pennies, the second solo effort from longtime Devonsquare member and North Conway native Tom Dean, is, as one might expect from his past work, an exquisitely produced collection of contemporary folk. Working once again with lyricist and writing partner George Wardwell and a crack team of session musicians, the fair-voiced tenor has assembled a mature mélange of songs that politely reference the genres of light-folk, blues, country and pop.

With each song carefully lacquered and polished to a soft sheen, there's barely a rough edge to be found on Pennies. Still, those who typically cringe at the sound of smoothed-out instrumentation and pat guitar solos will have a hard time resisting the infectious chorus in "Sunset Town" and the amiable shuffle of the album's title track.

Tom Dean’s newest CD, Pennies, is in many ways a far cry from his first solo CD, 1998’s Your Own Backyard, and is in many ways very similar. Among the similarities is Tom’s collaboration again with lyricist George Wardwell. Wardwell’s commentary on love, people and places still exudes a melancholy that complements Dean’s musical sensibilities, so much so that it’s a pretty fair guess that, though he never actually penned a single note, Wardwell himself can take credit for helping sculpt much of Pennies’ sound. It takes a keen, almost symbiotic understanding between composer and lyricist to match sound with content and obviously the moods Wardwell evokes have inspired Dean’s writing. And, of course, Dean’s melodies, phrasing, harmonies and emotion breathe life into these lyrics. In short, it’s a collaboration that works and works well.

One of the notable differences is that Pennies is a Dean solo production effort whereas Your Own Backyard saw Dean collaborating with Peter Gallway. Gallway is a renowned heavyweight who produced many of Devonsquare’s albums (Tom Dean’s well-known non-solo “project”) as well as albums for Laura Nyro, Cliff Eberhardt, Christine Lavin, Cormac McCarthy and many others. The differences in concept and approach are palpable—when producing alone Dean seems to prefer a stripped down sound, Gallway likes to fill space. Neither is necessarily better than the other, just different. Another notable difference is that guitarist Kevin Barry has replaced Jeff Pevar on this latest CD. Pevar is a busier guitarist both stylistically, which no doubt pleased Gallway, and lately his schedule, too, seems a little busy while he tours with Crosby, Stills and Nash. The rest of the Your Own Backyard core band is intact: Shawn Pelton on drums and Michael Viseglia on bass. Joyce Andersen, Charlie Jennison, Tom Yoder and Don Campbell all make guest appearances on Pennies.

While the Wardwell/Dean team is clearly a comfortable fit some tracks do work better than others. “Change of Heart,” the first cut on the CD, has an irresistible elegance, both in production and substance, that makes it among the best tracks on Pennies. Wardwell visits both LA and Montreal in “Sunset Town” and “The Streets of Montreal” respectively and Dean’s treatment is appropriately mellow—an easy gait for an insomniac contemplating the never dark city where he, perhaps against his wishes, wound up; and a pensive soprano saxophone evokes memories of a long-ago love on “The Streets of Montreal.” One of the strongest cuts on the CD is one of two that is not a Wardewll/Dean collaboration: “Run Down Slow” is solely a Dean tune and as he “vents” to one who’s toying with his feelings he stretches out musically, drawing different sounds from the same instruments he’s used on many of the other cuts. It’s exciting and refreshing. The title track, “Pennies,” is a country rocker (more country than rock), “Ghost Music” has a slinky, kind of “Hotel California” minor-key vibe to it, “Escape and On You Go” struts along with a bluesy groove, and all have the distinct feel of having been after-thoughts to this CD. Whether Dean was intentionally trying on different hats because he felt he wanted to get away from the folk-song sound (admittedly, a broad term) or just had a lapse in the “honesty” that pours out of so much of his work is anybody’s guess. While certainly listenable toe-tappers they probably wouldn’t have made the Your Own Backyard cut. Another departure from the homogeneity of this album is the last cut, “Cadillac Song.” Another Dean solo composition this is definitely an after-thought; it originally appeared in a film about Elvis Presley’s gift of 200 Cadillac's. It does, however, utilize an interesting traditional blues-guitar finger style and slide that, departure or not, makes it a pretty cool little tune and a welcome addition to Pennies.

Despite a couple of tunes whose inclusion here are questionable, this is a strong album. And the more you listen to it the more you want to keep listening to it. The strongest tunes are very strong and the weaker few are better than most of what we’re being fed these days. The simple approach to production is appealing, the supporting musicianship is restrained and understated…and first-rate, the lyrics throughout could not be more evocative, and Tom’s voice has never sounded better.  I think you’ll find it’s worth every penny.

"Tom Dean is a New Hampshire singer-songwriter, and though he's a 25+ year veteran of local folk/rock heroes Devonsquare, these days his solo career has been in the spotlight. On his latest CD, Pennies, Dean serves up ten strong, original songs co-written with friend/lyricist George Wardwell. Wardwell also contributed lyrics to Dean's 1999 release, Your Own Backyard (reviewed right here on Indie-Music.com), and is in fine form this time around. The lyrics are cleverly crafted stories set to Dean's memorable melodies, most of which fall into the
"modern folk" or singer-songwriter genre. There are a couple of surprises however, like Dean's wailing harmonica on the bluesy title track and the surprisingly traditional violin on "That Girl is the Moon".

The single most impressive thing about this album (among many) is the consistent strength of the songwriting. There's not a weak tune in the bunch.
Dean himself plays guitar, harmonica, and keyboards, and is joined on the album by well-known players Shawn Pelton, drums (Shawn Colvin), Kevin Barry, guitar (Paula Cole), Michael Visceglia, bass (Suzanne Vega), Tom Yoder, fiddle & mandolin, Joyce Anderson, violin & backing vocals, and Don Campbell, banjo & vocals

I just love this guy's voice. He's been compared by other reviewers to Phil Collins, Don Henley, and James Taylor. I also hear traces of Paul Simon's genius on "Run Down Slow" and "The Streets of Montreal".

--- By Suzanne Glass - Indie-Music.com

   "Pennies" is the second solo effort of North Conway’s Tom Dean, of the long-running supergroup Devonsquare. "Classy" readily comes to mind to describe a superb 40 minutes of sound. "Splendid" also rattles around in that vast vacuum serving as the music reviewer’s stand-in for gray matter.
First-rate music, pithy lyrics and talented performers all bear up well under repeated aural scrutiny. In truth, most of the song lyrics, eight collaborations with George Wardwell and two lonely star turns from Dean, improve with contemplation.
   Dean and Wardwell milk life’s experiences and the cream rises to the top. Deep thoughts are cleanly rendered and speak to everyman. Even songs about that road more traveled, love, sound original, not hackneyed.
   The "Pennies" band usually sports Dean on vocals, acoustic, bass, slide and electric guitars, keyboards, tambourine, harmonica, and/or snare drum, Shawn Pelton on drums, Michael Visceglia on bass guitar, and Kevin Barry on electric guitars. Other contributors include Don Campbell on background vocals and banjo, Tom Yoder on mandolin and violin, Charlie Jennison on soprano sax, and Joyce Andersen on violin and background and additional vocals.
  "Pennies" is prima facie evidence why one of New England’s finest singer-songwriters, and a gifted vocalist and multi-instrumentalist to boot, is also in constant demand as a producer. If you like contemporary folk, "Pennies" will sound heavenly.

---  By Chuck Ginsberg  Portsmouth Herald / seacoastonline.com

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