Filardo – Slow (Holy Page)

Musical Conent: Indie-pop songwriter Tom Filardo has been making great music on the west coast for a number of years now. Previous tapes, like Enter the Edit Suite and Exercise, feature a variety of sounds that accompany his pop songs; from goofy drum machines and sine wave synths to jangly indie-pop guitars. His 2012 EP titled Slow, now in its third edition, is a quieter, sparser release. Filardo knows when to pay attention to detail (the 12-string acoustic and electric guitar plucks with a short delay on “Lost in You”) and when to keep things organic (the simple guitar and vocal performance of “Portrait of the Painter”).

Filardo’s songs are smartly crafted. Sometimes too smart for their own good. The lyrical phrasing in some songs, like “This Time (Around),” takes you out of the song , which is a disservice to the song itself. But other tracks like “Anonymous Me” (“Had a job with double the pay / and had to walk away cause it was causing me grief”), are simple and honest. This tape works best when the songs seem effortless. Great guitar solo on that one too.

Previous editions were presented in mono, but this third edition presents a stereo mix for the first time.

Package and Sound Quality: Holy Page always has a nice presentation, and Slow is no exception. Heavy card stock, and both album design and color schemes are clever. Sound quality is good and clear without dropouts and minimal hiss.

Available from Holy Page Records. This third edition is limited to 50 copies.