Tuomo: Reaches Out for You

Europeans love soul. But typically, the Brits, French, German and Swedes are the purveyors and imitators. Who’d have thought Finland would have joined the fun? Once a prodigy, Tuomo is now a 30-year-old multi-instrumentalist with enough production and songwriting chops to slam his country onto the soul map. A critically acclaimed phenom, Tuomo won several international awards for his 2007 debut, My Thing. A Stevie and Issac acolyte in his orchestral compositions, Tuomo’s Reaches Out for You fulfills his early promise as a musician’s musician. He’s also ratcheted his tenor up a notch, drawing comparisons to Jamiroquai’s Kay. Lyrical enough to melt the heart of the toughest critic, songs like “Ordinary,” “Reach Out for You,” and “Sweet with Me” are tomorrow’s oldies and dusties. Not buying Finnish oldies? Just let Tuomo reach you; you’ll buy. 4 stars