The self-titled record from Foundry Town Survivors is an exercise in storytelling through the best medium possible, heartful and expressive folk rock. At heart, the duo Mark Tomorsky and Tommy Johnsmiller are short story tellers. Their penchant for music, their ability to harmonize and craft such sumptuous and serene melodies just amplifies the already impressive pieces of storytelling they bring to life. All of the musical elements, the rhythm the melody, the voice behind that guitar, all combine to create such a colourful and lavish piece of narrative driven that folk which inevitably inspires you to think about the imagination and folklore that the duo envision through their craft.
Described as a generational flood seen through the eyes of the youth, there’s a certain exuberance to Foundry Town Survivors that comes resplendently shining. It takes you back to a time that some may not even have the luxury or misfortune to remember, a childhood that was vacant of any technology. That innate mystery and inquisitiveness that was unsullied by devices or the internet, a foreign concept for some, but a world of imagination for others.
There’s a drive on Mississippi Rising, a harmonious sing along anthem that kickstarts with a drum and a harmonisation that has you immediately engaged. The Rock N Roll singing, reminiscent of The Band and their likes has you immediately falling in love with their tales. The entire intermeshing of instrumentation and arrangement, coupled with their vocal performance has you engrossed entirely. It feels like you’re listening to a storied traveller regale his past, describe his hardship, and recount his struggles.
What makes me most obsessed with Foundry Town Survivors is the purity of their craft. The duo are unapologetic about their style, wearing their classic rock influences strongly on their sleeves. In many ways, it isn’t really a record form 2021, but something straight out of the golden age (the 1960s). This form of narrative driven raw authenticity in both narrative and composition is far from outdated, it’s just not been replicated with sufficient imagination until these two came along.