INFO ON TIMBER TIMBRE Timber Timbre is a Canadian band formed in 2005. They have released five albums from 2006 to 2014. Timber Timbre's sound has been described as "an aesthetic rooted in swampy, ragged blues" and "beautifully restrained blues from an alternate universe", which creates an atmosphere that is cinematic and spooky.
INFO ON THIS ALBUM Released on April 5, 2011. It debuted at #21 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and was a shortlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.
MY PERSONAL OPINION I really enjoy this album. It's certainly unique, and it has a great feel to it. It's amazing how some tracks on this album are so different, yet there's a similarity in there somewhere, and you can definitely feel it. The instrumental tracks contrast the other tracks, but also compliment them. As far as the instrumental tracks go, "Swamp Magic" starts out very strangely, but ends beautifully. And "Souvenirs" is just gorgeous all the way through. Timbre is also very good at submerging you into this strange, borderline creepy universe....and then suddenly bringing you back with some "normal" blues (evident on the track "Woman.") The chord changes and saxophone that are present in a few of the songs also helps tie the album together nicely. My favorite song on this album would either be "Lonesome Hunter", "Black Water", or "Do I Have Power."
THE ALBUM
#1 - Bad Ritual
LYRICS
There's a hat on the bed The clock has stopped ticking And nothing remotely romantic has been said Let's not pass on the steps Let's take the season very easy Let's take pills, salt water Let's keep looking ahead
(Oh) It's a bad, bad ritual (Oh) But it calms me down (Oh) It's a bad, bad ritual (Oh) But it calms me down
There is a history in pictures There is evidence in boxes There is proof of your love for him, long after it's dead And every creak, a trigger I will think of you with others I could not smother out dead fire in my head
And I saw your levitating chair I found your long, blond hairs I felt your poltergeist present in the frame of the bed Every creak is a trigger I will think of you with others I found depravity convinced me I may no longer care
(Oh) It's a bad, bad ritual (Oh) But it calms me down (Oh) It's a bad, bad ritual (Oh) But it calms me down
#2 - Obelisk
LYRICS
N/A
#3 - Creep On Creepin' On
LYRICS
From your chair, my narrative tonight As your dickless cousin, brother, father, pet, friend, husband or wife A lavender scent A bone-orchard of hearts seems to surround you as you stare Each gift horse straight in the mouth Stare my arrow down I was invited, I was called out To watch you frolic and dance
Oh I buried my head in my hands I buried my heart there in the sand I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed I was ferociously put upon until it was clear I should not keep on I'll just creep on creepin' on Yes, I will, I'll not keep on I'll just creep on creepin' on
Fell at this station to levitate your bed And move her hair onto my chest Exposing her neck and I tear through Or to put it into my arms And my stomach dropped As you shifted me off to stop The ectoplasm coiled like a hovering halo of smoke And our beloved invention Is conjured each night in your throat
Oh I buried my head in my hands I buried my heart there in the sand I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed I was ferociously put upon until it was clear I should not keep on I'll just creep on creepin' on Yes, I will, I'll not keep on I'll just creep on creepin' on Or do I try one more time? No, I'll not keep on I'll just creep on creepin' on
#4 - Black Water
LYRICS
All I need is some sunshine All I need... All I need is some sunshine All I need...
The siren called beyond the treeline with another one for the caves and in the tarn beyond those birches there's a spirit that I crave
And from the island people watched you you set that viking ship ablaze we reached the moon falls, I see cauldron and found the spirit that I crave
All I need is some sunshine All I need... All I need is some sunshine All I need...
You've fallen barefoot past the treeline beaten, boned-eyed, butchered, swayed a thousand whitefish floating belly up in the spirit that I crave
And we threw ourselves right into it where lay the bodies had been claimed we dove a third out for the fifth banned to the spirit that I crave
All I need is some sunshine All I need... All I need is some sunshine All I need...
I found empathy from madness deliverance from malaise my heart is is filled with gladness at the only spirit that I crave
All I need is some sunshine All I need.. All I need is some sunshine All I need...
But I want good a thing want a good thing...
Black water, black water ...
#5 - Swamp Magic
LYRICS
N/A
#6 - Woman
LYRICS
Hand to, hand to, Mouth to, mouth to Mind to, mind to, Mouth to middle
Oh, woman Why aren't you moving with me yet? Do you forget what you tried to remember? Do you remember what you tried to forget?
Hand to, hand to, Mouth to, mouth to Mind to, mind to Mouth to middle
Oh, woman It's an omen, this is it But I forget what I tried to remember, I remember all I tried to forget.
#6 - Too Old to Die Young
LYRICS
These signs of natural disasters Predictions of a brutal force In case you're thinking of escaping Before you wake, I'll take your horse
No incantation now will save us Now that we're too old to die young You may not look inside my mind anymore But always standard time takes over
I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up now
My eunuch on your mystic parkway I kept my eyes and arms bereft Our garden would not grow by flash light I kept so quiet I went deaf
I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up
I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up now I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up now
You may not look inside my mind anymore Now you may leave my arms of moss And it's time we burned our bridges down So I know I won't come creeping to your cross
I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up now I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up I'm givin' it, givin' it, givin' it givin' it all up now
#8 - Lonesome Hunter
LYRICS
What did that bad man put in you did those rotten kids cross a line I'm afraid I'll never understand baby I'm so sorry you had such a bad time well I had done some truly awful things and you must be very terrified well you have ever reason to be frightened Since you've been reading my mind
Who am I to deny this moment and who am I to even question it there is a cross on the mountain baby there is cross flowing over your head please break this spell you have me under every heart is a lonesome hunter please break this spell you have me under oh yes every heart is a lonesome hunter
Sparrows at your window starlings at your door magpies wherever we go Is it blackbirds it's forevermore I'm staring at a whole in my hands and I've been staring at a whole in your head and I've been feeling like a zombie baby I am a zombie coming slow to your bed
Who am I to deny this moment and who am I to even question it there is a cross on the mountain baby there is cross glowing over your head please break this spell you have me under every heart is a lonesome hunter please break this spell you have me under oh yes every heart is a lonesome hunter is a lonesome hunter, is a lonesome hunter every heart is a lonesome hunter
#9 - Do I Have Power
LYRICS
In a movement of a thousand helping hands I am not beyond the saccharine of sycophantic rants In a movement of a wilderness exposed Is this lack of wisdom better than a charismatic soul And I'm bringing up blue hoarse me, thinking that I've lost control
Do I have power Do I have power Do I have power over it Do I have power Do I have power Do I have any power over it
For a moment can I just pretend you're mine Would it kill you now to placate my chauvinistic mind For a moment as my horse haunts harm ago? Bring the hypnotist back here to get me through another song And I'm bringing up blue horse meat(?) wondering where I went wrong
Do I have power Do I have power Do I have power over it Do I have power Do I have power Do I have power over it
#10 - Souvenirs
LYRICS
N/A
Some songs on this track perhaps are what you'd call "experimental." They're certainly interesting. Others are more traditional blues. But it's blues all around. The purpose of bringing this back was to get people to branch out of what they generally listen to and hopefully find a new artist to enjoy (or a new artist to dislike.)
I'll give rep to anybody who participates in this meeting! And first person to do it can do the next one.
