THIS WORLD
Label: EmBen Digital
Catalog#: EMBEN0006
When's the last time you allowed yourself to listen to a whole album by
your
lonesome? There is a band called The Strangely Possibles, and
they’re worthy
of this kind of ear bending.
Have you ever heard a trio of congas, uilleann pipes, and cello….
Or a
glockenspiel accompanying a blues harp… Or a sitar trading licks
with
a marimba? As bizarre as these combinations might seem, they
naturally fit
together. They are, in essence, strangely possible.
“Artsy” you ask? Not really. This music is too busy having fun to care if
it
impresses. It wants to laugh and play more than it wants to think.
“The songs are kind of nursery rhymes for modern times” says
singer/songwriter
Al Timpson. “I wanted the words and the melodies to be
sturdy enough so the
band could ride them out into the wilderness….and they did.”
The band’s name became a natural fit as the songs evolved. They were, and
would be The Strangely Possibles. If you listen to all 9 tunes in their debut
release (there are no “throwaways”) ~ each one is different, yet an unpretentious
soulfulness binds them together. It’s hard to put a finger on their sound; Maybe a
touch of Traffic, a speck of Peter Gabriel and a pinch of Dylan, all rooted in lyrics.
In a nod to something that's fresh, this collection of songs is titled “This World”.
The Strangely Possibles are a curious mix. There was the keyboardist who
would show half-dead, only to be resuscitated by old coffee or cheap red wine.
When Latin terminology and stories about brokenhearted composers from the
17th century crept into his conversation, the engineer knew he was ready.
The guitar player delivered the latest update on the next Armageddon as he
lugged in 3 additional axes (just in case). And the bassist was a rock who,
with two short words, kept the band chuckling through the night. From his
wardrobe of loops, kits, and dozens of strange toys, the one-man rhythm
department was a slave driver for precision while graciously shepherding a
sometimes-wayward leader. Then young Romeo, the cellist, who smelled like
cigarettes and dirty laundry, would usually nail something wonderfully righteous
on the first take. The singer is something like an optimistic orphan taking a group
of expert mountain guides on a trek without a map. Since age 12, he grew his
head with wah-wah pedals, udu drums, orchestra swells & countermelodies.
The other band members were surprised, yet inevitably turned on by his
barrage of arrangement ideas.
The hooks and barbs of these personalities are embedded in this collection.
Al Timpson just sensed each member had the goods to dress up the bare bones
of these melodies and chords. Sometimes he'd ask them to play the same song
using 4 or 5 different styles. At first, confusion reigned, but once they understood
that anything and everything goes, they delivered one out-of the-box performance
after another. His confidence in them unleashed their earnest enthusiasm for his
songs. When it came time for mixing, the hardest part was deciding what not to use.
Three songs have over 100 different tracks ~ a lot of sound, but the music always
breathes and never seems cluttered. "Books for Sooley" (track 9) had 3 different
versions laid down before they stumbled upon the fourth and final arrangement.
Some tunes were worked on for months, and then re-imagined and re-recorded
with an all-new mix of instruments. These intense and expansive examinations
deliver something that’s honestly original and enduring.
The Strangely Possibles are pleased to offer “This World.” You can preview the
songs on the group’s MySpace, and stay tuned for news about the digital release
and local CD release party in Portland, Maine.
01. Best
02. This World
03. Secret
04. Leaving Dunloe...(Don't Want To Join The Army)
05. Girl In That Song
06. Tomorrow
07. Wonder Where I'll Be
08. Stuck
09. Books For Sooley
Music & Lyrics by: A. Timpson.
Arranged by: The Band,
except #7, composed & arranged by: Flash Allen.
Produced by: A. Timpson.
Recorded by: J. Begley, S. Drown, M. Davis.
Mixed & mastered by: Jim Begley.
except #1 by: Andrew Morgan.
