Tom Minor – “Ten New Toe-Tappers for Shoplifting & Self-Mutilation”

Tom Minor is back with his second album, Ten New Toe-Tappers for Shoplifting & Self-Mutilation, and it carries on from his debut while sounding tighter and more self-assured. The London N1 songwriter sticks with his existential indie angle and stretches it across twelve tracks that move between brit pop, indie rock, and power pop without losing focus.

“Future Is an F Word” still stands out with its mix of relationship fallout and bigger-picture frustration about where things are heading, “Expanding Universe” taps into the chaos of modern politics with a sharp edge, and it’s my favorite. I like how he lets the ideas sit there instead of spelling them out, which makes the songs more fun to sit with over time. The newer cuts add fresh energy, especially “Progressive or Punk”, which looks back at old music scene stories with humor and bite, and “Washed-Up Buoy,” which takes his sound somewhere slightly unexpected.

If you are new to Tom Minor, this is a solid place to start, and I also recommend going back to his earlier releases to hear how this record connects to them. Follow him on social media to stay updated on what he does next.