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While doing some recent shopping for CDs, I saw a cover for a Buffalo Tom record that I had never seen before. Buffalo Tom recorded a new record in 2007, and somehow I missed it, as I am sure most people did. My first response was that they must just be riding the nostalgia wave, since it seems that every early 1990's band that got more than one video onto MTV's "120 Minutes" is getting back together. I held off on picking it up. I was apprehensive. I hearkened back to an unpublished Pitchfork review I had written for "Smitten" way back in 1998. I had closed out the review with the statement, "I hope that Smitten is an anomaly, and not a swansong. These guys sound tired and bored with the recording industry that should have made them stars, then tried to make them stars, but never really understood what Buffalo Tom was all about."
Given that it is 10 years between "Smitten" and "Three Easy Pieces", the latter case appeared to almost be true. After a while, I decided to purchase "Three Easy Pieces" and give it a listen. The first song, "Bad Phone Call" comes on. Chris Colburn's falsetto backing harmonies start up. The loud, melodic yet harshly distorted guitar ring through my ears. Tom Maginnis' drumming keeping a perfect beat and setting the tempo and energy. Then Bill Janovitz's vocals come in, and a song about looking back and moving forward kicks in.
"Hell yeah!" I shouted in my Civic, driving down the highway. "Buffalo Tom has come home!"
For those who don't remember Buffalo Tom (likely most anyone reading this), they came out of the 1980's lo-fi scene in Boston. Unlike most of the bands that came from that scene, Buffalo Tom had three things going for it: they understood melody, they knew when to turn the amps up to 11, and they were the tightest band of the entire genre. (The final point is probably because, unlike their contemporaries, they had a stable lineup throughout their run.) Their live performances blew you away. They were that good. Until their record company too late realized what they had, tinkered with their sound, and apparently caused the Toms to get bored and frustrated and hang it up. Or maybe they just got tired of it all. Whatever the case, they pretty much vanished, going off to side projects and the occasional one-off.
The ten-year layoff seems to have recharged the batteries. The band sounds refreshed and invigorated again. The songs are melancholy yet more mature, with a wider-eyed look at the world. There are a few clunkers on the record, but nowhere near the level they were to be found on smitten. And things get a bit too "mellow" in the middle. But despite the layoff, the Toms are as tight as ever. They still know when to turn the amps all the way up, and they still know when to ease everything back. They still know how strike that perfect balance between delightful melody and lo-fi noise.
There's nothing new on this record. No innovations. No exploring new musical directions. And that's a good thing in the case of Buffalo Tom. They do what they do so well, and they are so good together as a band, you don't mind that this record sounds like it would be more at home in 1995 than 2007. Fans from way back will revel in a new set of songs that capture the energy and songsmanship that made Buffalo Tom the best band you never heard of. It likely won't win over any new fans, but even if a few people take a listen and seek out an old copy of "Let Me Come Over" or "Birdbrain", it's all worth it.
Listening to this CD on that ride home put a smile on my face all the way, like seeing your best friend for the first time in years, and finding out that nothing has changed between the two of you despite the time apart. It's great to have you back, Buffalo Tom. We've missed you.
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