Timmy Sean “A Tale From The Other Side” Part I
Inspired by Stephen King, California musician-producer Timmy Sean rolls out a “supernatural thriller, monster movie rock opera,” ten years after his impressive debut. The album concept starts off as a fun coming-of-age story (a bit autobiographical) in Part I, with Part II due early 2021.
After the spooky intro “opening credits” the guitar and harmonies flow on “The College Year” a richly produced mid-tempo ballad that looks back after graduating. “In California” bursts out with a fresh power-pop melody loaded with hooks, and it’s the big highlight. “Fortune and Fame” have Weezer and Lenny Kravitz influences, as it marches along to a soulful beat. The music is loaded with bombast, as “My Jaded Love” is a wonderful piano ballad with some overbearing percussion that plays into the anthemic “Over and Over Again.” The sound effects and bits between songs hold the story together but are so frequent that it can be distracting. However, there isn’t a bad song anywhere and the entire production is top-notch. Highly Recommended.
Mooner “The Alternate Universe of Love”
It’s been a few years since Lee Ketch’s Mooner delivered a new album and The Alternate Universe of Love has Lee experimenting with textures and sounds along the lines of Jeff Tweedy, but he still knows how to write a great song, as the opening title track shows. It starts quiet with an acoustic guitar but mid-way through gets funky with synths and drums.
The next few tracks, quietly bring out lots of contrasts. “Can I Be Angry?” has a sedated vocal, as the guitar rhythm gets progressively “angrier.” “Eleanor’s Ideas,” tells a good story, but for all the neat sonic tricks, it doesn’t resonate much. But then we get “I Can’t Tell,” a classic hook-laden melody that draws you in. And then one of Lee’s best-ever songs “Why Don’t You Need Me?” a brilliantly written ballad, that cries out with strings and piano. “Is This All I Can Do To Love You?” is a solid mid-tempo eulogy to a lost relationship. After this, we get back to atmospherics on the remaining tracks. This is a heart-felt grower of an album, and music fans should grab some headphones and check it out.
