Out of this Spark

Still chasing ghosts
Timber Timbre's latest offering has sounds of blues recordings from '20s, '30s

January 15, 2009
Jason Schneider
for NightLife

(Jan 15, 2009)

So much rock 'n' roll has been based on the quest for "authenticity."

That is, musicians dutifully paying homage to the blues and folk pioneers who represented what today we might call alternative music.

Back then it was possible for Bob Dylan to make a pilgrimage to meet Woody Guthrie, or for Eric Clapton to actually jam with Muddy Waters.

Today, young artists only have the archaic records as direct reference points, and this fact is revealing itself more and more in the sound of new work by anyone with even a passing interest in blues or other older musical forms.

Toronto's Timber Timbre -- in reality, singer/multi-instrumentalist Taylor Kirk -- has variously been classified as blues or folk since releasing its debut album Cedar Shakes in 2006. But the sparse, spooky elements that are the foundation of Kirk's songwriting echo something much deeper, and closer to the primitive blues recordings of the '20s and '30s that he says still endlessly fascinate him.

Timber Timbre's new self-titled album is its most brilliantly understated yet, even though Kirk admits he wanted to build on what he's already accomplished sonically. "It's my third record, but first in a proper studio," Kirk says. "Compared to recording things myself this was a much nicer experience. I was concerned about involving others but it actually made the process so much more enjoyable."

The subtle addition of organ and fiddle definitely accentuates the haunting qualities of the album, but Kirk points to the backing vocals provided by members of roots/gospel collective Bruce Peninsula as a particular highlight. "Those songs are pretty special to me," he says.

"I really admire Bruce Peninsula and what they're doing and I knew I wanted them to make a contribution. But I couldn't have really imagined what they'd come up with or the impact they'd have with those isolated parts. Particularly on Demon Host, a song that I've been playing for over a year; it's really taken to new heights when they come in."

With his studio experiment now seemingly an unqualified success, Kirk says the next challenge is to transfer that to the stage. "I expect this album to complicate my live performance. I've never felt that making a recording of a song was about creating a definitive version. So I've never been interested in recreating my recordings live. But with this record so many of the arrangements became integral to the songs. I won't be putting a rock 'n' roll band together, but I do plan to have some accompaniment."

Expect whoever will be joining Kirk to have some connection to Timber Timbre's label, Toronto-via-Guelph based indie Out Of This Spark, which is celebrating its second anniversary with a couple of shows featuring its entire roster. Kirk says that being a part of such a tight-knit group has been integral to his creative process, and the new album wouldn't have come out the way it did without contributions from his label mates.

"I think just about every single individual involved with this label came forward respectively and offered to help me out in whatever capacity," he says. "And these are folks who are all involved with several different projects already. It's a very good team to be on for sure. These shows we'll all be doing together will be a lot of fun, and I've also got a handful of dates with Ghost Bees and Bruce Peninsula. I'd really like to do a proper national tour this year, but nothing is planned yet."

Live Timber Timbre w/The D'Urbervilles, Forest City Lovers, and Jenny Omnichord Friday, Jan. 16 Albion Hotel, Guelph Tickets $10 Doors open at 9 p.m. More info at 519-821-7125

Original URL : http://news.guelphmercury.com/arts/article/427142