Thursday, 10 June 2004
No, Tim is in no way affiliated with the hardcore punk band The Dillinger Escape Plan – far from it. Tim, instead, seems to have modelled his charismatically chilled-out style on the music of Stevie Wonder and Lionel Ritchie, as the opening track in 'You Know I Love You' hears him soulfully crooning away to a groovy piano accompaniment. Yes, his songs are as soppily sentimental as they sound to be on paper, but the upbeat chirpiness of 'The Day You Held Me' is hard to resist, being a sun-kissed example of easy listening music at its most naïve, effectively celebrating love as 'an ideal’.
In the world of pure pop, often the sole purpose of the music is to make the listener feel good, and come 'The Way You Love Me' Tim puts on his best Peter André voice and stance to dance, this tune being one of the funkiest of the 12 tracks on offer here.
There's no denying that all these songs are bright and breezy through being so unashamedly melodic, but you can only take lyrics such as 'you make me feel wonderful” for so long before you crazily crave lyrics that are a little more poetic or unusually captivating.
Hell, in spurts Tim even manages to remind of Prince courtesy of his soulful singing, and if this type of 'world perfect' music is your bag, this album will be extremely hard to fault. (4/5) |