Album Talk #2: Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
The 5th album from Canadian band Timber Timbre explores the crossroads of rockabilly and psychedelia.
Year: 2014
Genre Tags: Indie Rock, Freak Folk, Psychedelic Folk, Experimental
Timber Timbre carves out new sonic territory on this shadowy LP. Their fifth full-length effort, it was released on the Toronto-based Arts & Crafts label in 2014. Delving into the roots of rock'n'roll, Hot Dreams excites nostalgia. But the band doesn't hang their hat on predictability; this is considerably darker and stranger than traditional rockabilly. The album contains unsettling lyrics, dissonant melodies, and spaced-out grooves.
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Hot Dreams feels conceptual, carrying a twisted country-blues style throughout. Across this album's 10 tracks are rustic compositions paired with dark lyricism. The opener 'Beat the Drum Slowly' sets the record's tone with a foreboding atmosphere. Employing vintage synths and a Mellotron, it's almost like entering a hallucinogenic 1950s sci-fi flick. Acoustic guitar, orchestral strings, and reverb-heavy vocals are also present here, swelling into a psychedelic nightmare. The album ends similarly with the instrumental 'The Three Sisters,' a sinister track that conjures images of UFOs flying through a desert.
Lyrics are certainly a focal point of this album. Vocalist Taylor Kirk croons his cryptic poetry with a country twang, often sounding like an unhinged Roy Orbison. The penultimate track 'Run From Me' contains some of the gravest subject matter here, with Kirk mournfully cooing "Run from me darlin', run my good wife. Run from me darlin', you better run for your life." The lyrics on 'Grand Canyon' describe embarking on a long flight to an unspecified destination. With a somber delivery, he utters "I pray the Grand Canyon take our plane inside its mouth." These morbid words add another layer of mystery to the already esoteric sounds.
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Considering how well it flows, this album is surprisingly varied. 'Resurrection Drive, Part II' is an eerie, off-kilter oddity. Though only a 2 minute long instrumental, it acts as the album's midpoint and serves to bridge it together. The title track is a wistful ballad that's arguably the most beautiful tune here, with a chorus soaring high with lament and longing. 'Curtains!?' is a head-bobbing, groovy piece of psych-rock the band pulls off effortlessly. From love songs to experimental interludes, no track feels out of place here.
Taken in its entirety, Hot Dreams is a curious, unsettling journey. It finds the band at their most explorative and most refined. The rich production and adept songwriting make this an impressive album of psychedelic experimentation. Consistently potent, it never outstays its welcome. Once again, Timber Timbre has demonstrated that there is still room to push rock music forward.
Recommended for fans of: Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Portishead, The Handsome Family
What do you guys think of this record? Have you listened to it? What are some of your favorite psych/folk albums? Please share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
Stream it here.
I like it! Good sound to it too!
Not so familiar with modern and psychedelic folk. But have listened more to it lately. Mostly because of post like this on Steemit!
Tnx for posting good music out of the ordinary!