5 stars out of 5
A group with this strong of a debut album is surely worthy of attention. Self-labeled as psychedelic soul, Tommy Freed and the Sound exude the confidence and energy of a band with a well-established comfort zone, and the balls to step outside of it. Dreamy, yet sometimes explosive, riffs sit beneath the smooth vocal tracks of front man/guitars Tommy Freed and gospel-funk-inspired bass lines. Come On Shining is consistently accessible, though with a perfect amount of fuzz, as if flowing quickly, comfortably before plunging, sometimes without warning, beneath the surface to a Tame Impala psychedelia. Though it is compensated for in the band’s live performance, the album’s only shortcoming may be an underutilization of Gabby Gutierrez-Reed on vocals – her lead on “The Ocean” combined with blissful, faraway instrumentals, pushes the track into the most impressive of Come On Shining.