Tamar Berk “tiny injuries”
Tamar is reinventing herself in tiny injuries as she moves from grief to acceptance following the death of her father. The opener “If U Know, U Know” has her soft vocal contrast with the loud guitar riffs, similar to Alanis Morissette or Aimee Mann. With a strong, catchy chorus and numerous layers of overdubbed guitars to give it weight, “Sunday Driving” is another powerful song. Some of the lyrics are profound and thought-provoking.
Next, Tamar’s lament “What’s Become of Me, my Friend” is about the constantly shifting emotions following a life-altering incident, and “Cash Out” explores similar quieter territory. Tamar’s compositional skill has also improved with the sophisticated “Permanent Vacation” and standout “Drop In The Bucket,” both multi-layered gems that beg repeat listens. The emotions in the songs are all heartfelt, not as raw as Start At The End, but this makes it a more balanced album. There’s not a weak track in the bunch, and plenty of gems make this highly recommended and worthy of my top ten albums list for 2023.
Dan Kibler “Idiomatic”
Pennsylvania native Dan Kibler was a singer-songwriter who was influenced by Neil Young and the Dwight Twilley Band. I haven’t heard much since the Capsule album in 1998, so this new project was a pleasant surprise. Dan started “Idiomatic” in 2019 with Michael Giblin (The Split Squad, Parallax Project) to serve as sound engineer and bass player, and Tom Kristich (The Jellybricks) was added on drums. The pandemic put a year-long hold on things but it was worth the wait.
Fans of Bill Lloyd and Twilley will enjoy this album, “This World” has a great anthemic chorus, and “Rail Me Down” has a great twangy guitar solo midway through the chugging verses. Dan plays that fine line between roots rock and power pop, as “See You There” boasts a confident strum, as does “Don’t Go For The Money” which focuses on finding happiness through creative endeavors. “Mystery Girl” is the closest you get to straight power pop, but what really compels you is Dan’s voice, both smooth and weary best shown in “Words.” Highly Recommended.
