Album Notes

Tom McWatters writes songs that seem to have appeared into the world fully formed. Upon consideration, however, it is clear that exactly the opposite must be true: songs so firmly crystallized must be the result of a very delicate process. Combining the flawless song construction of Elliott Smith, the allusive poetry of Tom Waits, and the dusty everyday reflections of Bruce Springsteen, McWatters's songs are at once nostalgic and singular.

McWatters's first full-length solo recording, "atomicwaters," evokes the bygone era of troubadours howling lamentations between sips of whiskey. Despite the economical arrangements, the songs never feel spare -- McWatters's vocals, alternating between bluesy croon and soaring boom, easily fill in the spaces. His examinations alternate between the worldly ("Bad Kid") to the deeply introspective ("27 Times Around The Sun"), but are always framed by the emotional lives of individuals. With songs so eloquently affecting, delivered in a voice so arresting, "atomicwaters" is a truly striking debut from an undeniable talent.