Timber Timbre - Sincerely, Future Pollution (City Slang)
Released: April 7th, 2017
Timber Timbre makes a mark on 2017 with their 6th studio release, Sincerely, Future Pollution. This is a follow up to their 2014 album Hot Dreams. Besides a few songs on their 2012 release Creep On Creepin' On, I haven't followed this band at all prior to this album right here. Once I saw they posted a single earlier in the year I had to check it out. I was fortunate enough to access the NPR music link for an early listen to the album, which made me even more excited for the actual release date. After that first listen I was genuinely pleased with the overall record and pumped up for April 7th.The singles on this album, "Velvet Gloves & Spit" and "Sewer Blues", are examples of what got me so excited for this album. The simple synth and drum play on "Velvet Gloves & Spit" create this very still and linear vibe while the lyrics emote feelings of either a past romantic relationship or one that never was. The subtle echo/delay on the drums and auxiliary percussion instruments combined with the guitar groove at the end really top off the song nicely. "Sewer Blues" was the first single posted from this album sometime in January. The instrumentation creates such a dark, cold, and creepy aura, which is nothing new from Timber Timbre. It is a sound that this band has embraced and some say they even perfected. I think "Velvet Gloves & Spit" is the better of the two singles. Even though they are both dull and minimal "Velvet Gloves & Spit" felt like it had more depth and was more well-constructed.
My favorites on this album include "Grifting", "Moment", and "Western Questions". I love the groove on "Grifting". The synth play over top the straight forward drum and bass pattern complement each other nicely. Also, I love the pretty synth chords during the chorus, they are so calming and cool. I'm also obsessed with the haunted GRIFTING, GRIFTING, GRIFTING! right before the chorus. The layered vocals on that section sound very spooky or ghostly, giving the listener an un-easy/weird feeling. "Moment" is another one on the album that is very dry and empty, especially during the verses. At these parts nothing exists except for vocals, bass and drums. The song gets help from the glistening and trickling synth chords that appear after the chorus. The moment that sticks out the most to me on this song is the eerie and chilling 2 minute jam session at the end. At first listen, I felt it came out of nowhere and was completely random, but after a while it has grown on me so much. This frightening section full of screeching guitar licks gets complemented by a synth pattern halfway through that adds to this crazy finish. "Western Questions" is a record that just builds off of this simple drum machine pattern into this beautifully designed jam. The chorus melody is so gorgeous and elegant. A feeling of never-ending relaxation is found when the closing guitar section hits; a short drum fill right before it transitions you into one of the best moments on the whole album.
The instrumentals are also of note on this album "Skin Tone" & "Bleu Nuit". "Skin Tone" has this nice funk presence while "Bleu Nuit" contains this vocal section that is synthetic and filtered so much that it doesn't even sound like a voice, but just another instrument. The title track "Sincerely, Future Pollution" is this building synth ballad that tells the story of the album title. Themes of "Sarah", "UFOs", and "Halos" are found throughout the lyrics on this album, especially in the closing track "Floating Cathedral", where the name Sarah is repeated in the chorus. Even though it is not one of my favorites on the album, I think "Floating Cathedral" caps off this 9 track album pretty well.
I was happy I listened to this album. There are multiple songs that stick out to me that I know I'll be playing for a while. The only issue I have with this album is with the instrumentals. Personally, I wish they would've have added vocals to these songs to make them memorable. As of right now, I think they are nothing more than filler tracks on an already short album. They are interesting to listen to but I don't find myself constantly playing these over and over like I do the other tracks on the album. Overall, I believe Timber Timbre came through with a solid album that continues to exemplify that they know how to make creepy and minimalistic music catchy and poppy. Listen below...
Listen: Timber Timbre - Velvet Gloves & Spit
Rating: 7.5/10
Fav Songs: Velvet Gloves & Spit, Moment, Grifting, Western Questions, Sincerely, Future Pollution, Sewer Blues
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