Tom Rosenthal: a brilliant musician many may not have heard of before, deeply British and an all-around impressive mind. He houses himself in the heart of London, where he writes, composes and networks. He has four albums under his belt: “Keep a Private Room Behind the Shop” (2011), “Who’s That In The Fog” (2013), “Bolu” (2015) and his most recent, dazzling album “Fenn” (2017), named after one of his daughters. Each album tells of beautiful collective concepts, and what can be found within these concepts bring an air of unique wit and thought.
“Who’s In That Fog” is my purest one; it’s my favorite,” Rosenthal said in an email.
ALLOWING LOVE TO REIGN
Rosenthal first found himself inspired to write his gorgeous melodies when he fell in love. Like most human beings, he realized he needed a place to process his emotions through the careful crafting of his lyrics. Falling in love seemed like the best way for him to get in touch with what he was trying to say, not only for himself but also as a means of communication.
“I fell in love and I started writing songs for the girl,” Rosenthal said in an email.
He discovered that within the songwriting process magic could be retained—magic that he shares with his audience. It just so happens that the listening process personifies something beautifully bigger, and this communication becomes an empathetic conversation. He talks of songs like “As Luck Would Have It.”
“I adore that one, because I simply could never repeat the magic of it. There’s just something about it, even its song structure is weird,” Rosenthal said in an email.
INTRINSICALLY CONTEMPLATIVE LYRICS
Rosenthal’s thematic and thought-provoking music reveals the weight he places on what his lyrics say. He simply realizes the power of music upon every generation. Having a musical end product labeled as vapid or trivial would feel like a failure for any artist, but Rosenthal values this even more highly.
“If I didn’t write thought-provoking lyrics and songs that painted a bigger picture, I would be completely failing at what I’m trying to do here,” Rosenthal said in an email.
A MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Alongside his delightful albums, Rosenthal has also dabbled with the work of YouTubers like Will Darbyshire and Bertie Gilbert. Together they grace viewers with spunky but pensive shorts that are absolutely easy to immerse yourself in.
“It’s just really nice to work on projects like these, and these boys are really good at making interesting projects happen,” Rosenthal said in an email.
Rosenthal has found a striking way to intertwine cinematic rifts of musicality with soft and formative lyrics. He has learned how to illustrate an authentic relationship between songs and the creative minds of screenwriters and directors in a way that not only leaves us hungry for more but also inspired to make art of our own. Rosenthal does not fail to inspire, especially when offhandedly explaining that the longest he takes to write one of his songs is a day. No words.
