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Bombadil Brings the Pleasure and Pain of Folk Music

Bombadil’s latest Tarpits and Canyonlands offers eclectic music, eccentric lyrics

Bombadil

Tarpits and Canyonlands

Released on Jul 07, 2009

Tom Bombadil is one of the strangest and most forgettable characters in the Lord of the Rings saga.  Appearing in the first Lord of the Rings novel, Tom Bombadil dances around Frodo and his companion, apparently on some kind of opiate.  Since this is a fantasy world however, Tom’s characteristics are summed up to his mystical and enchanting lifestyle.  The North Carolina band Bombadil is nothing like this.  Though the band is just as eccentric as the man they took their name from, they lack the sporadic and superfluous nature their namesake had.  Starting with their EP entitled s/t in 2006, the band has grown into their own unique musical style through practice and determination.  Their latest release Tarpits and Canyonlands is a regular journey through genres, dancing between folk, world music, and acoustic rock. 

One of the greatest things about Tarpits and Canyonlands is its dual nature.  The majority of the tracks on the album sound extremely upbeat, even buoyant.  But once you start listening to the lyrics of the songs, you realize the sunshine on the outside has certain darkness inside.  “Honeymoon” on first listen sounds like something you’d play at your own marital celebration.  It’s a delightful romp, a crescendo into a cheery little song.  But on second look you discover that all is not gold in “Honeymoon.”  The first line of the song is “Throw the body in the lake, and take a chance that no one finds out.”  Not the best start to what was perceived as the beginning of a marriage.  As the song continues is clearly evident that this once beautiful marriage has gone sour and the song’s protagonist must now deal with the smoke and mirrors around his sham of a union.  It’s hard to make a song so depressing sound so beautiful and happy at the same time, but Bombadil does this without a hitch and encourages audiences to lend a second listen to what they thought was a joyous song. 

Usually music like this can become overplayed and can fall into the “kitschy but cute” category, but Bombadil keeps it interesting by never sticking to their guns.  Their roots are their roots, not their staple.  They have no problem using their strengths as a jumping point and continually improving upon their distinctive style with each track.  By the time you get to “Kuala Lumpur,” Tarpits and Canyonlands has become a completely different album.  Switching vocalists and styles from track to track helps keep the fifteen song album fresh, jumping from the fairy tale-like “25 Daniels” to the startling “Matthew.”  Though some of these tracks can get a tad tiresome musically speaking, Bombadil’s interesting lyrics and vocal work always capture your interest.  Forget the odd adventures of Tom Bombadil, Tarpits and Canyonlands is a far darker and more adventurous tale than he could ever participate in.

Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Jul 07, 2009 @ 6:30 am