ABOUT TOM

"STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART OF THREE MUSICAL LEGENDS COLLABORATING AS “ONE,” BROTHERS IS THE TENDER, TOUCHING, AND PROFOUNDLY POIGNANT ALBUM FROM WILL ACKERMAN, JEFF OSTER, AND TOM EATON.  EACH AND EVERY TRACK WILL REMAIN ETCHED DEEPLY INTO YOUR SOUL LONG AFTER THE MUSIC STOPS."

"EATON'S EIGHT SONG, 70-MINUTE MASTERWORK (HIS FIRST FOR THE LEGENDARY SPOTTED PECCARY LABEL) IS ALL AT ONCE GLORIOUS AND SUBTLE, AN ILLUMINATING YET DEEPLY MYSTERIOUS MEDITATIONAL DREAMSCAPE OF NEVER-ENDING INTRIGUE."

"INDESTERREN IS A PROFOUNDLY GORGEOUS ALBUM THAT IS SURELY DESTINED TO BECOME ONE OF MY FAVORITES. THE WISTFULLY HAUNTING MELODIES HEREIN SEEM TO FULLY EXPRESS WITHOUT DIRECTLY REVEALING A CLOSELY GUARDED EMOTIONAL SECRET, OFTEN ALLUDING TO NIGHTS SPENT IN SOLITUDE AND PONDERING UNDER THE STARS. AS WITH ABENDROMEN, TOM EATON HAS CREATED YET ANOTHER MASTERPIECE THAT IS EVERY BIT AS MOVING, MYSTERIOUS AND POSSIBLY EVEN MORE STUNNING THAN ITS PREDECESSOR!"

ABENDROMEN IS A VERY HAPPY SURPRISE FOR THOSE (LIKE ME!) WHO ONLY KNEW OR KNOW TOM EATON FOR HIS WIZARDRY AT IMAGINARY ROAD STUDIOS. THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL ALBUM OF MOSTLY AMBIENT AND ETHERAL MUSIC.

“…THE GHOSTLY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT HERE IS RIVETING…COMPELLING, LUSH PIANO-DRIVEN ARRANGEMENTS ALONGSIDE GLISTENING INSTRUMENTATION…”

"EVEN WITH THE STRATOSPHERIC PEDIGREE OF THESE THREE MUSICIANS – WILL ACKERMAN, JEFF OSTER, AND TOM EATON – AND THE EXPECTATIONS I HELD AS A RESULT, BROTHERS STILL STOPPED ME IN MY PROVERBIAL TRACKS DURING MY FIRST PLAYING. THE ALBUM’S EIGHT SONGS FLOW FORTH LIKE A GENTLE BREEZE ON A WARM DAY, CARRYING RELIEF IN EVERY NOTE, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE RELIEF IS A PALPABLE EASING OF STRESS, A WAVE OF GORGEOUS MELODIES EASING THE LISTENER GENTLY INTO A STATE OF UTTER PEACE AND RELAXATION."

"THE MUSIC OF ABENDROMEN HAS A REFRESHING EFFECT. IT PURIFIES THE SOUL AND CONSOLES THE MIND. IT RELEASES HIDDEN EMOTIONS AND GIVES YOU EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR CHERISHED DREAMS.

THIS ALBUM REMINDS ME TO SOME EXTENT OF THE BETTER WORKS OF THE FAMOUS JONN SERRIE BUT EATON DEFINITELY HAS HIS OWN UNIQUE STYLE. ALL THE COMPOSITIONS OF THE ALBUM ABENDROMEN ARE THOUGHTFUL AND FILLED WITH INNER LIGHT AND INSPIRATION. THEY SEND A POWERFUL CREATIVE IMPULSE TO THE LISTENER AND YOU CANNOT BE INDIFFERENT WHEN YOU HEAR SUCH EXPRESSIVE MUSIC."

"...IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE TECHNICAL WIZARDRY TOM EATON APPLIES TO HIS WORK WITH OTHER ARTISTS IS TEMPERED WITH THE SOUL OF A TRUE ARTIST."

"FANTASTIC ALBUM. THE MUSIC IS EMOTIVE, PASSIONATE, AND REFLECTIVE. TOM'S COMPOSITIONS HAVE SHADES OF THOMAS NEWMAN SOUNDTRACKS WITH A BIT OF HAMMOCK, TIM STORY, AND EVEN PATRICK O'HEARN THROWN IN, AND YET ARE COMPLETELY ORIGINAL. ALL THE SONGS FLOW AND BLEND TOGETHER WELL, SO THERE ISN'T ONE SONG THAT COMPLETELY SHOCKS YOU OUT OF THE MOOD THE REST OF THEM GENERATE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND."

“WE’RE USED TO CONFESSIONAL SINGER-SONGWRITERS SHARING THEIR DEEPEST PROBLEMS IN WORDS. TOM EATON DOES IT MUCH MORE SUBTLY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. WEATHERING IS HIS EMOTIONALLY RESONANT EXPRESSION OF THE STRUGGLES, REALIZATIONS, AND HARD-WON SATISFACTIONS OF MID-LIFE.”

"WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH MY DEFINITION (OF A SUPERGROUP) OR NOT, THERE’S NO DENYING THAT THE WORD "SUPER" CAN BE APPLIED TO THE ALBUM FROM JEFF OSTER, VIN DOWNES, AND TOM EATON: SEVEN CONVERSATIONS. ONE COULD HAVE THIS AMAZING ALBUM ON REPEAT AND HAVE ONE'S DAY PASS IN A BLISSED STATE OF, DARE I SAY IT, UTTERLY BEAUTIFUL RELAXATION. AND HERE'S THE REAL KICKER, THE ENTIRE ALBUM WAS RECORDED IN REAL TIME. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. THESE ARE ALL IMPROVISATIONS! I MEAN…. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? AS I WROTE EARLIER…IT'S KINDA GENIUS!"

"WILL ACKERMAN PLAYS GUITAR, WITH JEFF OSTER DOING FLUGELHORN/TRUMPET AND TOM EATON ON PIANO, KEYBOARDS AND BASS… YOU’LL HEAR THEIR LOVE OF PLAYING TOGETHER AND CLEAR MASTERY OF THEIR INSTRUMENTS AS YOU LISTEN TO THE AMAZING “WHILE THERE’S TIME”… I HAVE NEVER HEARD BETTER “PACING“, AND THE RECORDING IS PURE AND FLAWLESS."

“ABENDROMEN IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS ALBUMS I’VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME. MUSICALLY, IT CONVEYS THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT COULD NEVER BE ACCURATELY EXPRESSED WITH WORDS WHILE RETAINING A HAUNTING QUALITY OF OBSCURITY. EATON HAS CRAFTED A MASTERPIECE OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER THAT HAS ALREADY BECOME A PERSONAL FAVORITE AND WILL CERTAINLY BE HARD TO TOP AMONG THIS YEAR’S BEST RECORDINGS."

"THROUGHOUT THESE EIGHT TRACKS VERY LITTLE SEEMS REPETITIVE OR SEQUENCED, EVERY SOUND DRIFTING EFFORTLESSLY, FLOATING INTO THE NEXT THROUGH A NATURAL PROCESS. EATON HAS CAPTURED A VERY SPECIAL FEELING WITHIN THESE EIGHT COMPOSITIONS, AND HIS ARTICULATE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE TRULY BROUGHT THEM TO FULL BLOOM."

"EVERY SONG IS AN EXQUISITE EXAMPLE OF SONIC ARCHITECTURE, PERFECTLY COMPOSED, ARRANGED, AND PERFORMED. I REALLY CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT TOM’S ABILITY AS AN ARRANGER AND SOUND DESIGNER, WITH THE WAY HE IS ABLE TO WEAVE HIS ELECTRONIC TEXTURES AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS INTO SUCH SUPERB SOUNDSCAPES – TRULY STELLAR IN EVERY WAY."

“…A POWERFUL COLLECTION OF BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED PIECES…”

"IT’S RELATIVELY EASY TO MAKE REPOSEFUL MUSIC THESE DAYS USING ELECTRONIC WIZARDRY BUT IT’S STILL NOT THE SAME AS HANDMADE MUSIC. ACKERMAN, OSTER AND EATON DRIVE THAT POINT HOME TRACK AFTER TRACK WITH THE HUMAN TOUCH OF ACOUSTIC GUITARS, PIANO AND A COURTLY TRUMPET OR FLUGELHORN.

EATON IS THE GLUE THAT BRINGS EVERYTHING TOGETHER INTO A WELL-PUREED WHOLE. WHETHER HE’S ON PIANO, ELECTRIC PIANO OR GENTLE SYNTH WASHES, HE KNOWS HOW TO FILL IN WHATEVER IS LEFT BEHIND BY ACKERMAN AND OSTER."

"SNAPSHOTS STRIPS AWAY THE LAYERING OF HIS ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT TOM EATON IS A CONSUMMATE ARTIST IN HIS OWN RIGHT. I HOPE THERE WILL BE MORE SOLO PIANO ALBUMS FROM HIM IN THE FUTURE!" 

READ FULL REVIEW HERE

"THE SOUND OF MAGIC."

“THE REAL BEAUTY OF WEATHERING STEMS FROM HOW EATON’S TRANSLATION OF HIS PERSONAL STORY BECOMES A UNIVERSAL KEY TO OUR EMOTIONS. EACH PIECE IS LIKELY TO OPEN SOME SPECIFIC DOOR (OR SEVERAL) WITHIN ITS LISTENERS, RELATED TO THEIR OWN TRAVAILS AND TRIUMPHS, MAKING US FEEL THIS MUSIC VERY VISCERALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY. WEATHERING IS EASILY ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL ALBUMS I’VE HEARD THIS YEAR."

"THESE THREE ARTISTS (JEFF OSTER, VIN DOWNES, TOM EATON) HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT THEY DO FOR SUCH A LONG TIME BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE MUSIC. SEVEN CONVERSATIONS IS A THINKING PERSON’S MUSIC. YOU PUT THIS ON AND YOU LOSE TRACK OF TIME. YOU PONDER. BUT MOST OF ALL, YOU ESCAPE. THIS IS GREAT MUSIC DOING ITS JOB."

"A PIANO SOUND TO LUST AFTER, IMMERSED IN A SUGGESTIVE, GAUZY WORLD OF BEAUTIFULLY WROUGHT ELECTRONICS AND GUITAR LOOPS"

"IT'S LUSH, SHADOWED, EMOTIONAL MUSIC THAT'S RICH IN HARMONIES AND OCEANIC LAYERS AND IT'S ALL SO DELICIOUSLY SLOW. THIS IS THE STRONGEST RELEASE OF NEW MUSIC FROM SPOTTED PECCARY THIS YEAR..."

“TOM EATON’S WEATHERING IS A MASTERPIECE YOU WILL DEFINITELY WANT TO PRESERVE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. A KIND OF MUSICAL BIBLE, IT IS WORTH LISTENING TO IT MORE THAN A THOUSAND TIMES…”

"A BEAUTIFUL, SHIMMERING, AND COLORFUL EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE, WITH STRONG MELODIC CONTENT MORPHING SLOWLY LIKE WAVES AS EACH PIECE SLOWLY PROGRESSES."