Thomas Patrick Maguire is a singer-songwriter with moody, grim songs of a highly personal nature. He typically stays in the indie folk meets indie rock style with stripped down, basic arrangements driven by a single guitar and his voice. He has a dry delivery and a clear articulation that does not rush anything, giving his songs the time it needs to settle in. There are occasions where he brings in bass and drums to set up a more group-like feel, which has been happening increasingly more frequently in his recent work. Even then he has a tendency to keep the instrumentation fairly straightforward. He may not be very similar to Elliot Smith stylistically, but his music strikes a very similar tone. His songs are typically on the down tempo side and feel very personal and intimate.