Cat No AMCD2044

o Tom Malmquist is an unconventional singer, songwriter and musician from Stockholm. He’s also a published & performing poet, and an ex-professional ice hockey player. This is his attention-grabbing debut album - and he delivers his songs in a sparse acoustic roots-rock style with a lot of folk and country influences.

o He sounds perhaps like a mixture of Neil Young and early Tom Waits, with a shot of Dylan and even a touch of Van Morrison. “Fish in a Tear” is like eleven strangely familiar postcards from a place you’ve never been. Malmquist has an appropriate US backwoods look - with full ‘Klondike’ beard, old baseball cap, check shirt and jeans.

o He plays guitar and occasional washboard - with backing from banjo, harmonica, keyboards, bass & drums - including Magnus Svenningson (The Cardigans bass player) and some nice harmony vocals from someone called Jani.

o The album is produced by Andy Gustafsson (who also plays bass, piano & harmonica) and Sophie Rimheden, Sweden’s electronica queen, who’s also mixed the album. In 2007, Malmquist released an EP called ”Two In The Morning” – to rave reviews. His debut album deserves no less.