New York City’s Tomás Doncker has forged a career in music that’s lasted over thirty years and running, making a name for himself as both a renowned bluesman and a pioneer of the No Wave scene in the late ‘70s. With a resume that includes working alongside Madonna, Yoko Ono and Bill Laswell, Doncker has directed his efforts towards solo work as of late; his most recent venture is eight-track album The Mess We Made.

Lead single ‘The Church is Burning Down’ was a passion and pain fuelled discourse on hate-crime and the racism still alive and well in the world today; The Mess We Made continues this streak of taking an honest look at society. The album reads as a political statement over the course of its eight tracks, and profoundly so. Opening track ‘Some Ol Dolls’ is a slinky, funkified number on which Doncker takes no time in getting straight to the cold hard truths. With lines like “Feel like I’m about to bust/I don’t believe ‘In God We Trust’” and “Prison makes it hard to forget that being brown is like being a moving target/I feel the sniper eye on me, is this what it means to be free?”, Doncker questions the proud nation of America and its underlying sense of hypocrisy. 

This sentiment unfolds in different ways throughout the album. ‘The Revolution’ opens with the line: “I’m calling bullshit, while the revolution’s looking for corporate sponsorship”. Musically, the track is one of the catchiest on the album, grooving infectiously with a section of boppy horns and funky guitars that make it impossible not to tap your foot along. Arriving late in the album is a cover of U2's famous ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. Doncker’s raw, buttery smooth vocals give the song a fresh perspective and an air of authenticity; the version takes a more down to earth direction than the original and succeeds all the more for it.

The Mess We Made is a powerful album that exudes Tomás Doncker’s undeniable love of his craft alongside his impassioned stance against injustice.

The Mess We Made is available from Amazon & iTunes

Meet Tomás Doncker, the bluesman whose honest sense of soulfulness has earned him a respected spot on the scene for over thirty years and running. Over the course of his seasoned career, Doncker has worked with some of the all-time greats, from Yoko Ono, Bonnie Raitt and Grammy Award-winning Bill Laswell to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa. Doncker’s forthcoming album The Mess We Made details the pain engendered by racism still being alive and well in the world today.

“It all started on the day of the Charleston Massacre, the heinous events which occurred on June 17, 2015 pushed me over the edge. I was overwhelmed with rage, hatred, confusion and disillusionment. I had no place to put these feelings. I had no idea how to process them. So, in a selfish attempt to maintain my own sanity I did the only thing I could do, write about it. By Sunday, June 21, I had written 4 new songs. Within ten days I had recorded the 8 songs that would become, The Mess We Made”.

The first single lifted from The Mess We Made is ‘Church Is Burning Down’, a direct discussion on not only the Charleston shooting, but also on hate-crime in general. Opening with a fidgety beat which draws to mind retro drum machines, Tomás Doncker soon chimes in: “Misinformation, this information/So much speculation going round. Unholy fire in the house of God/Can’t turn away, can’t fair the ride, fourteen times in seven days”. The track is full of fire, drive and restlessness. Doncker’s indignation, which serves as a conduit for the anger of a persecuted group, is seething through funky guitars and thumping bass: “So damn sick and tired of being sick and tired”. 

‘Church Is Burning Down’ takes a firm stand against hatred. While Doncker could very well have gone with a solemn and saddened first single for the album, he has instead chosen a fiercely upbeat number that’s imbued with a powerful message and a poignant sense of solidarity. 

‘Church Is Burning Down’ is available from Amazon & iTunes.