by Isabel Thomson Officer

TB’s debut LP 'Heartbreak Hotel' is a majestic eight track album filled with beautiful melodies from start to finish. It's the latest project from Permanent Vacation label co-head Tom Bioly. Past releases under the moniker TB have included the EP “City Girl” back in 2015 on his own imprint as well as “Invitation To Love” on John Talabot’s Hiverned 10” series which was highly praised in underground dance music press.

With this album, TB brings us on a stunning melancholic journey filled with bouncing synths, strings, and disco beats creating this crossroad of where nu-wave meets deep house.
 

Opening with “Heartbreak Hotel”, the self-titled track is melancholic with flutes and acid bobbles with a catchy melody and hypnotic bass line before “Hello Moon” begins to pick up the pace with another bouncing melody. “Glitter” takes us deeper with a rolling dancefloor number with a strong groove and mesmerizing beat. Rounding out the first half of the album “Lilac” focuses on percussion over the melody with a subtle acid jazz/St Germain influence with the cymbals almost trying to stray from the 4x4 beat before weird hypnotic synths dive in and out. 

Stepping back to post-punk disco, there is no mistaking the 80’s “Now and Forever” beat. It’s very New Order, infectious, groovy, and pretty fucking cool. Take us back to the days of shoulder pads and big hair already! 

Quite possibly my personal favorite track of the record “Izzy Rider” (not because of the music but because it combines my nickname and that of an excellent movie), the track is eerie and melancholic with a strong snare, various synths, and wobbling strings all working in perfect harmony.

Nearing the end “Too Late” is laced with bouncing acid synths and a hypnotic 4x4 beat before drawing to a close with the aptly named “Closer”. It’s downtempo compared to the rest of the album with an eerie vibe and air of dance noir mystery peppered with random distorted vocals.