Thursday 11 June 2009



Timber Timbre comes knocking

(photo: arts-crafts.ca)

There’s a spooky, spectre-like aura that surrounds the music of Timber Timbre, that’s at once haunting, and hypnotic.  Taylor Kirk’s voice (he’s the man behind Timber Timbre) seems to come at you from a distant past through an old analogue radio abandoned in a dark forest.  His third and most recent album, self-titled Timber Timbre, defies any kind of neat genre categorization.  It’s too freaky sounding to be folk, more creepy than country, and too blurry to be blues.  Kirk has progressed from his early bedroom recordings to a full studio set-up, where he’s fleshed out his sound with the help of producer Chris Stringer.  Members of Bruce Peninsula and Forest City Lovers join him in creating a very evocative and moody album of music.

Timber Timbre was originally released by fledgling Toronto label Out Of This Spark early in 2009, and has now been picked up by not-so-fledgling Toronto label Arts & Crafts, who will (re)release it on June 30, 2009, followed by an international release date of July 28.  The album should find fans among aficionados of Nick Cave, Tindersticks, and the new Danger Mouse project Dark Night Of The Soul (posted here earlier this week).  It’s already drawn the attention of quite a few Polaris judges, if the posts in the Polaris Jury discussion group is anything to go by.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the album on the long list next week.

Personally, it’s taken me some time to warm to the album, but that probably has more to do with me than the music therein.  It’s not an album that you can easily put on and enjoy wigthout first being ready to experience it. Timber Timbre requires your attention and if you;re not ready to give it up fully, you’ll lose a true sense of what the album is about.  Take the time to absorb it and let it’s tones and textures envelope you, and you’ll find yourself falling under its dark, ominous sound.

MP3: Timber Timbre “Trouble Comes Knocking”
Mysapce: Timber Timbre

by J. Di Gioia | Comments Off

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