We Have Sound is possibly the most appropriate title that Tom Vek could have come up with for his debut album. Not noise, not music but somewhere in between, the songs conjured up by Tom throughout this album are nuggets of a fertile imagination and awareness of limitations that delight in their simplicity. The spirit of DIY, from Paul McCartney to Babybird runs through this album, with Vek handling nearly all aspects himself, bar the production. The ramshackle home studio sound that he builds up- the tinny guitar sound on "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" or the programmed cowbell on "If You Want" being the most charming examples--creates an appropriately club-footed backing to the drawling vocals that dominate the album. There are downsides to this album: Vek's voice isn't very attractive on first listen, and his lazy, repetitive lyrics could well be enough to dissuade folk from venturing further. Likewise, the lo-fi backing doesn't always do the songs justice, and songs like "The Lower The Sun" and "That Can Be Arranged" cry out for a bit more gloss and finish to let the songs shine through. But persevere with this album and its' contents, and the highlights are obvious. --Thom Allott
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