Promoting new LP, Dream Catching Songs, Colorado-born troubadour Thomas Truax took to the decadence of Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms to whisk us off with the aid of his homemade instruments Mother Superior and The Hornicator. Despite featuring on the most recent album, Budgie, who has worked with Siouxsie and the Banshees, sadly could not be there, though it was already quite the night – it was quite a darkened, beautiful wild ride around Wowtown. Â
Thomas Truax is not simply a singer and songwriter (as if that’s not enough); he is also an inventor of instruments. We were introduced to some of his inventions at Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms that evening, including a motorised, spinning drumming mechanism and a more-than-flashy gramophone. An imaginative musician who cultivates a narrative and a wonderful sound that blurs the lines between art-rock and surreal Americana, Thomas is a unique talent. Inimitable doesn’t even begin to describe how he awes and serenades his audience as you enter his bizarre imaginings.Â
Edinburgh-based stoic musicians, Salt, were supporting Thomas, gearing us up for something altogether different with Sharon leading the punk rock sounds of the band, adorned in a Vivienne Westwood homage – the tartan suit. Harnessing the underground sounds of the capital they livened the venue up before we veered down into the rabbit hole that our headline intended for us. Salt were punchy and emboldened in all the right places. Â
As for being removed from the city of Edinburgh to the disco balls and full moons of Wowtown via the means of Thomas, and his instrumental gang – Mother Superior, The Hornicator and Stringaling – it was darn-tripping wonderful. And for those not yet accustomed to his music, it was a brilliant set, as he performed tracks such as ‘Beehive Heart,’ ‘The Butterfly and the Entomologist’ as well as the unforgettable ‘Full Moon over Wowtown’ on top of the new tracks from Dream Catching Songs. With nods to David Lynch, a young David Byrne, Nick Cave, and a troupe of inventions, there was much to stay on our toes for as we indulged in his innovative experimentation, reinforcing our place in the depths of Edinburgh’s underground scene. Â
