Tom Murry
Lay Me Low
You’re never too old to chase your dreams, Tom Murry is living proof of that. After a stellar corporate career, Tom is getting back to his Oklahoma roots and musical passion - the same passion that earned him a Les Paul from his Grandma when he was a teenager. We’ve run across of host of pickers like Tom in our career, the difference with him is that he’s got that vocal grit that makes him authentic. He was fortunate to team up with two Nashville heavyweights on this track, Greg Barnhill and Greg Bieck. Here’s our review of his single, “Lay Me Low”.
A solid kick leading into a great train beat kicks us off at 106 BPM, and the bass walks us comfortably into the key G, quickly joined by an acoustic, Tele and some nice piano riffs. Right away, we’re blown away by the mix and tones. His melody starts on the 5, a classic country choice, as he lays out a tale of who he is, what he’s not afraid of, and what’s to be gained by crossing him. Great lyrics - classic outlaw country vibe. Love the use of the minor 5 in the chord progression of this first verse - makes the song open up quite a bit and leaves plenty of opportunities as the song progresses. The instrumentation is spot on - killer drum tones, great bass, beautiful lap steel and piano and the perfect Tele tone. As we work our way through the chorus, there’s some lovely sonic additions with the piano voicings and meaty backgrounds that add some depth to the lyrics. Absolutely love how they come out of the chorus on the MAJOR 5 (was wondering where that would show up!). This track is off and running beautifully.
Coming out of the first chorus, the acoustic, electric and lap steel all trade fours in a stunning display of phrasing and musicianship. Second verse picks up the intensity just enough with the right amount of backgrounds. Lyrically the theme intensifies and the visuals this song has created are right inline with everything Waylon and Merle. Coming out of the second chorus we’re right back into trading solos, but they’re all very tasteful - the acoustic reminds us of Dan Tyminski, theTele of Roy Nichols and the lap of local legend John Rich, but this time we get the addition of piano before we get a final vocal phrase to wrap it all up. Beautiful production and composition. Tom’s vocal is perfect for the genre, a gritty tenor that is more than capable of an honest delivery.
Make sure you scroll down, check out his socials and his other tracks. His version of Amazing Grace has a slightly up-tempo feel to it, beautiful organ and lap tones and a vocal grit to it that makes you believe him. Linda, an ode to his wife, is a heartfelt story with an honest and direct approach in it’s storytelling. He doesn’t waste words, his delivery is honest and the production it top shelf. What a beautiful tribute. Good work Tom, hope to catch you around town soon!