T.F. Gambon – As We Dreamt
For the last six years and change, T.F. Gambon has been a mainstay of the NYC indie scene with his band Meyru. As any prolific songwriter knows, sometimes you come up with a batch of songs that just doesn’t quite fit your current project, so Gambon funneled his creativity into a folksy eight song album he’s calling As We Dreamt. Recorded in a Brooklyn apartment, Gambon teamed up with his friend and pryor Meyru producer Cal Maro to bring these songs to life. The result is an introspective, heartfelt, and most importantly, sincere collection of songs – a perfect debut for T.F. Gambon, the solo-artist.
“Eyes” is the opening track here and an excellent introduction to Gambon’s sound. A gently-strummed acoustic guitar will be the star of the show throughout the course of this LP, strumming a constant hum through your speakers. A gentle harmonica whines softly in the background, a feature that will eventually become a recurring motif, setting a forlorn and nostalgic scene before Gambon’s voice comes in to steal the spotlight. A gentle baritone, Gambon sings about the beauty of someone else’s eyes – all the while, jazzy acoustic chords mark the changing from verse to chorus to bridge and vice versa. It’s evident these songs are archetypal folk, meant to be sung around campfires or intimate coffeeshop settings. Sighing organs, subtle percussion, and far-off backup vocals complete the folksy canvas here, but never detract from the original pull – a man and his acoustic guitar.
There’s certainly an overarching folk spectrum to the songs on As We Dreamt, but Gambon isn’t afraid to lean into some more pop rock flavors. Song two, “Floorboards,” in a different light, could be a Jason Mraz or Jack Johnson song. Lyrics about summer sun and sidewalks paint a rose-colored picture of better times. “August” has a similar vibe, with its delightfully finger-picked guitar backbone, gently pulsing bass drum, and tasteful finger snaps. Like “Floorboards,” there’s a yearning here for halcyon days – Gambon sings about sitting at his coffee table, feeling trapped and stale, “locked inside these four walls like a dog inside a cage.”
I could type words until my fingers fall off, but As We Dreamt is one of those albums that’s best experienced for yourself – there’s only so many intriguing ways to describe a batch of heartwarming songs written by a man and his acoustic guitar. “Oldsmobile” has a quasi twelve-bar-blues progression that makes it feel like it’s existed forever, channeling “Let It Be” with it’s descending root notes. “Take It From Me” smacks like a cut from Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, slowly strummed and purposefully sparse. “Real As We Dreamt It” might have the most beautiful vocal performance on the album, with Gambon’s doubled vocals adding a lush flair to the otherwise threadbare instrumental. The final two tracks, “Evergreen” and “58th and 10th” follow this format too – keep your ears ready for the surprise, if brief, harmonies that peek through on the former.
As We Dreamt is out as of January 10, 2025. You can find it on your favorite streaming service, including Spotify and Apple Music.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna