24th Street Blues
Bohemian, 2023
8/10
This 6th solo album from the San Francisco troubadour Tom Heyman explores endangered culture and the living ghosts of his hometown via his distinct version of Americana
The title track opens with Rusty Miller’s warm piano and bass complementing Heyman’s cozy storytelling that carries plenty of folk tendencies, and “Desparate” follows with more focus on percussion, as Heyman’s acoustic guitar, baritone guitar and slide guitar creates a rhythmic climate.
The middles offers some of the best tracks, where “Hidden History” highlights Miller’s eloquent piano and Heyman’s intimate pedal steel, while “Like A Lion”, the album’s best, is a fuller display of firm drums from Mike Coykendall and Greg Loiacono’s soulful pipes complementing Heyman’s rugged voice.
Close to the end, “White Econoline” and “That Tender Touch’ make an indelible impression, where the former uses the pedal steel in emotive ways alongside the crisp drums, and the latter places Coykendall on 12 string guitar for the poetic and reflective finish.
Heyman and his wife, the visual artist Deirdre F. White, have lived in San Francisco for 2+ decades now, and they’ve seen the city through its various stages. Here, they capture the hardness and fragility of their town with a distinct, thoughtful vision that will be forever timeless.
Travels well with: The Waymores- Greener Pastures; Maia Sharp- Reckless Thoughts