Buffalo Tom - Let Me ComeOver

Wed 13th Jul, 2005 in Music Reviews

I am not ashamed to say that I love Velvet Roof.  I would even go as far to say that the song would feature in my top 30 favourite songs. I bought Let Me Come Over, the third long player from Buffalo Tom, for that one track alone.

Released in 1992, it marked a more mature direction for the trio, highlighting a marked development in both their playing and song writing ability as opposed to their first two efforts which had them tagged as Dinosaur Jr, junior. Their self-titled first release had J Mascis playing guitar and mixing and for the 1990 release, Birdbrain, he is credited with the production work.  Their grungy folk sound saw them as angry youngish men thrashing about screaming but with Mascis being at the desk as well, is it any wonder that the ‘Jr’ tag stuck? Arguably, it did sound similar also.

In 1986, Bill Janovitz (guitar, vocals), Chris Colbourn (bass, vocals) and Tom Maginnis (drums) were all at the University Of Massachusetts. When they began bumping into each other at the same gigs and because of their like tastes in music, they decided to start playing covers together before getting into scribing their own material. 

At the time of Let Me Come Over, they were college/indie radio darlings, sharing that handle with the likes of Dinosaur Jr, The Lemonheads, Blake Babies, The Pixies and Galaxie 500, amongst many others. Seems so long ago, but then it is 13 years now. While the release was well received, being highly regarded in some yearly lists, it failed to generate into sales for the band and it wasn’t until their best of, A Sides From Buffalo Tom, in 2000, that they achieved any real sales notoriety, but still not earth shattering.

For Let Me Come Over, Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade seem to harness the threesome’s energy and direct it into the end product more successfully than Mascis could with the earlier releases. That or they just matured as a band.

With the addition of overlaid acoustic guitars, college radio favourite, Taillights Fade, comes to us. This has to be classed as a power ballad. I don’t think that can be denied and while I loathe the term, I quite like the song, with its acoustic verse and angsty, battering chorus. I’m Not There could nearly be thrown in the same category, but that would be a little harsh. Admitting to owning two power ballads that is.

In a similar vein, sans battering chorus, Mineral and Larry come through like a gentle nor’ easter off the ‘bay. Effortlessly refreshing, without totally blowing you away as does the chorus of Taillights…. Both are definite favourites with all three displaying heartfelt emotion that is only enhanced by Janovitz’s soaring vocal efforts.

Porchlight and Frozen Lake have a Lloyd Cole circa Rattlesnakes feel about them. The lyrical content is definitely not in the same philosophical ballpark as some of Cole’s work, but that does not detract from their impact either.

Album opener Staples is a good starting point, giving the listener a fine indication of where they can expect to go. While having some sonic adventure with a few overtones, syncopated beat and some angsty vocals, it still has a calm feel about it but would please listeners of the earlier releases. Mountains Of Your Head and Darl follow suit, keeping the pace up between some of the slower tracks.

My favourite, Velvet Roof, combines a steam train rhythm with a rolling guitar and vocal before the harmonica kicks in, just to make things interesting. Again, the Janovitz vocal teamed with Colbourn’s accompaniment is a pleasure to the ears and as Janovitz strains at the upper end of his range through the second verse; it shows just enough intensity to make a difference.

Stymied is another excellent track with its intensely delivered chorus combined with some wonderfully jangly guitar work during the verses, while Saving Grace picks up the pace before delivering us neatly into closing track, Crutch. With its changing tempo, Crutch picks up the pace in during the verses encouraging you to the finish, but backs off, as you know it will all be there when you get there. No need to hurry, you can see the end.

While it didn’t receive anywhere near the commercial success it probably deserved, there were some great songs on this album, which is arguably Buffalo Tom’s finest.

”...a simple gesture, yes or no, would have been enough to let me know…”