Dave Paulson is mostly known for his previous projects NORM, The Privates and My So-Called Band (the 90’s tribute band) but his latest album is something entirely different. While still firmly planted in the pop rock realm that he does so well, this album is a concept record inspired by ‘Tommy Boy’, the 1995 comedy starring Chris Farley and David Spade.
At first blush, that may seem like a ridiculous concept for a record (and it is) but Paulson managed to write a handful of incredibly sincere songs that transcend the novelty of it being related to an SNL cult classic film. Regardless of if you have ever seen the movie or not, the lyrical content makes perfect sense as a tale of triumph over adversity. There’s no samples from the film or overt references to the most memorable parts (see: “Fat Guy in a Little Coat”), it’s just a pop record about two people trying to find their place.
So, yea, it’s a bit of a novelty if you know the back story but it’s also just a damn fine pop album beyond that. The website has a song-by-song breakdown of the events being described from the film along with the lyrics. It’s startling how well it works.