New Music + Video From Thomas Dolby: “Love Is A Loaded Pistol”

By Jemiah Jefferson

“Love Is a Loaded Pistol,” the first new track from Thomas Dolby since approximately 2007, might come as a surprise to listeners who never knew anything more than “She Blinded Me With Science,” but the steampunk maestro has left his electronic roots well behind, interested now in a quieter, more personal, but no less intense approach to writing and performance.

“Loaded Pistol” soars on a combination of thoughtful strings and supper-club piano, with Dolby’s voice traversing from a husky near-whisper to a passionate, braying bell and a dozen emotional points between. Between the noir-styled story-song lyrics and the piano, you’d think he’d been possessed by the Blue Valentine-era Tom Waits, but the reality is a lot more clear and delicate.

This is an interesting choice as the first tease from a new album due in late 2010, but it’s definitely indicative of a new style closer in spirit to “I Scare Myself” than “Radio Silence,” and effortlessly shows his mastery of multiple approaches. When the songwriting is this solid, he can take whatever approach he wants.

Watch a live performance of “Love Is A Loaded Pistol” from February 2010.

Thomas Dolby’s A Map of the Floating City is scheduled for release in late 2010 and will be preceded by three digital EPs. For more news, be sure to check out Dolby’s website.