The intelligence burning in the heart of Tom Tikka and the Missing Hubcaps’ “Working Class Voodoo” is in its lyrics and Tikka’s vocal delivery. There’s other equivalent moments in the track, like the development of the song’s melodies, but the track gets over with listeners largely on the back of its lyrical acumen, never overwrought or pretentious, and Tikka’s idiosyncratic yet charisma loaded delivery. He never falls prey to histrionics. He infuses each line of “Working Class Voodoo” with just the right balance of urgency and dread, never tipping the scales too far in any particular direction, and punching through the clear mix to grab listeners by the lapel. The fluid harmony singing included in the track only buttresses Tikka’s fine voice. He’s more than capable of taking the tune on his shoulders alone.
Despite how short this collection is, only three songs, it’s a subtle indication of his self-assurance leading off with the title song. Title tracks are, even in the truncated EP form, often regarded as definitive musical statements on that respective effort, a moment somehow representative of the artist’s overarching attempt. If that’s the case with this title track, it’s a good selection. The second and third songs reveal that the title cut is a hooky synthesis of Tikka’s various musical inclinations and, as such, can stand as a solid example of his overall sound. It isn’t necessarily Tikka’s best song or even the finest track included on Working Class Voodoo but is does reflect key aspects of Tikka’s musical personality.
“Daytime Suffering” is another idiosyncratic songwriting moment. I doubt anyone other than Tikka would hit upon the phrase “daytime suffering”, vague yet surprisingly suggestive, and he builds an attention grabbing lyric around that phrase. The arrangement bears some common points of reference with “Working Class Voodoo”, but it breaks with the earlier track by increasing the presence of electric guitar in the mix; there’s even a solo near the song’s end that avoids any unnecessary guitar pyrotechnics. Tikka puts his love of harmonies to work once again and they provide the performance with a further distinguishing quality as they are far more central to this recoding than the opener.
“What Is Love?” is a different take on the same general formula Tikka follows during the aforementioned cuts. The difference here lies in approach and goals for the song. Tikka obviously looks to invoke a wider screen feel for this performance rather than the contained compositional principles governing the first two tracks. He slows the pace a little more but, rather than losing energy, the slower speed lends stateliness and gravitas to his musical ideas. The guitar sound remains the same and the drumming gives the track an unshakable foundation; “What Is Love?” lives up to the ambition of its title without ever straining for effect. It tops off this abbreviated release with the right far-reaching touch serving notice that, if there are longer solo efforts to come, Tom Tikka is likely to take his music into surprising yet rewarding areas.
Jodi Marxbury