Tom A. Smith - Put On A Record Tommy EP

Built around the idea of Tommy’s Dance Place, a fictional club where “everyone is invited”, Tom A. Smith’s ‘Put On A Record Tommy’ is a night out bottled up.

Opener ‘SFX’ goes closest to that current indie-dance wave, chasing the same pulse as The Dare, Fcukers or, closer to home, The Itch, while the rest of the record pulls in different directions. ‘Our Song’ leans into that punchy, jangly Vaccines-style indie, while the title-track, featuring Rowetta, has a theatrical streak and a hook that begs for sticky floors and late buses home. ‘The Only One’ and ‘No Matter What’ keep things heartfelt without losing momentum, while ‘The Band’ looks ahead with a mix of ambition and nerves.

If there’s a slight snag, it’s that everything feels a bit too polished. For music built for sweat and strangers, it could do with a touch more grit. Still, that’s a small gripe. For now, ‘Put On A Record Tommy’ is fun, open-hearted, and easy to get caught up in.