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Reviews

Andy Toomey — Perseus Calling
(Bandcamp no#, 2024, DL)

Andy Toomey — Crank
(Bandcamp no#, 2025, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-10-23

Perseus Calling Cover artCrank Cover art

Andy Toomey came out of the blue, at least in my musical world. He’s apparently been around a while, but the arrival of Perseus Calling in my inbox was the first I’d heard of him. He’s a musician based in Florida with several previous releases, but Perseus Calling features some well-known guests, raising Toomey’s profile. The band for the release is Stick Men, with Toomey adding vocals and rhythm guitar on six songs he wrote. So you’ve got Tony Levin on bass and Chapman Stick, Pat Mastelotto on drums, and Markus Reuter on Touch Guitar and loops. I could swear I hear synths occasionally, though nothing is listed in the credits. Toomey’s voice reminds me at times of Corey Glover, so the result is a little like Living Colour crossed with King Crimson. The songs are generally quite accessible, with memorable melodies and catchy choruses, but the backing parts are full of tricky rhythms and unexpected details. On the whole, it’s an enjoyable EP of prog-adjacent music, and the excellence of the backing band really elevates the music.

After this collaboration, Toomey released Masterpiece, which featured Reuter and drummer Zachary Alford, but I didn’t get a review copy of that one. Toomey’s roll continues with a second 2025 release, a full length album called Crank, and Reuter is again on hand with Touch Guitar and keyboards. Bernhard Wöstheinrich, Reuter’s colleague from Centrozoon and Anchor and Burden, is on board for synthesizers, samples, and other sounds; the drum chair is filled by Shawn Crowder, best known for his work in Sungazer, and Toomey concentrates on bass. The result is a solid album of well-written contemporary rock songs, and while there’s not a lot of mathy rhythmic complexity, the arrangements are superbly done, with stellar contributions from all involved. According to the liner notes, the entire album was conceived and recorded over two days in Berlin, making it quite an achievement in this era of meticulous productions spread out over months or even longer. The title track is a highly energetic electronic rocker with an insistent pulse and a bit of an industrial edge. To my ear, the more uptempo tracks are the most successful, though even a slower track like “More” includes many intriguing sounds, often due to Wöstheinrich’s contributions. “Dear Leader” is an interesting case, with Crowder laying down a great rhythm part with his trademark tuples all over the place on the high-hat, but I find Toomey’s harsh vocals on the track essentially unlistenable — a shame given the quality of the track otherwise. So Crank doesn’t get a wholehearted thumbs-up, but on its best tracks it’s quite impressive.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Markus Reuter, Bernhard Wöstheinrich, Andy Toomey

More info
http://andytoomey.bandcamp.com/album/crank

 

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