Thom Chacon

"Featherweight Fighter"

Label: Pie Records

In a sea of indistinguishable non-threatening male singer-songwriter types, Thom Chacon and this record hold up pretty well. He has a unique singing voice and creates original harmonies that are times, anthemia, other times dark and introspective, but always seem a bit sophisticated.

Now for the bad: - His image and the way this record is being marketed defy any sort of credibility. What should be the backstory is right out front and leading with it is a douche move.

See, Chacon is the cousin of fighter Bobby Chacon, who is immortalized in Warren Zevon’s song Boom Boom Mancini that is now mostly associated with Bob Dylan and his cover of the song (and his penchant for singing about underdog boxers).  This has about as much relevance to this record as Daisy De La Hoya claiming to be Oscar’s niece, and just as embarrassing.

He’s already gonna have to dodge the inevitable Dylan comparisons and naming your record  Featherweight Fighter and this whole im-the-cousin-of-the-guy-in-the-Zevon-song-that-Dylan-covers-so-I’m-gonna-make-that-my-entire-motiff thingfeels clueless and desperate.

And also unnecessary, cause the record is good. You don’t achieve greatness by trying to align yourself with greatness. You do it by writing good songs, and this record is full of them.
Cold-Hearted Way and You Ain’t The One are strong, story driven songs that show promise of a future knock-out.