Tommy Womack – Positively Na Na

On his solo debut, Tommy Womack, an indie-rock veteran of the bands Government Cheese and the Bis-Quits, has taken full advantage of his current Nashville residency by assembling a backing band full of the talented musicians the town is known for. Banjo and pedal steel add a real country touch to Womack’s pop/rock songwriting; the album is packed with the kind of melodic hooks that bounce around your brain for days.

But as good as the music is, it’s the lyrics that make this album special. A witty and clever wordsmith, Womack combines his sense of humor with keen observations of the passing parade and gets right to the heart of the human condition.

You expect to laugh at a song detailing the ridiculous predicaments that human beings get themselves into “in the mindless, endless pursuit of a little bit of sex” (“A Little Bit Of Sex”), or a song about the ultimate revenge fantasy of anyone ever picked last in gym class (“Skinny & Small”, a song Womack claims is autobiographical, except for the homicidal parts). What’s really special is that Womack can take subjects such as a woman fleeing the murder of her abusive husband (“Sheila’s On The Road”) or a life dead-ended by a teenage pregnancy (the title track) and make them into songs that are not only life-affirming but downright hummable.

Womack makes no secret of his admiration for Paul Westerberg and Bob Dylan; he even quotes them in the lyrics of some of his songs. For some songwriters this might seem presumptive; but Tommy Womack aspires to the big leagues, and Positively Na Na indicates he just might have the right stuff.