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timber timbre

Review: "Sincerely, Future Pollution" by Timber Timbre

In the build-up of their new record, Taylor Kirk, lead singer of Timber Timbre, stated: “the tone and result on the record is utter chaos and confusion”. This in itself is not all that surprising. Ever since the Canadian band first released music in 2005, they have consistently conjured noises that chill the nerves and heighten the senses. Much like a lullaby that soothes one into a state of relaxation, unaware that a giant spider watches over them, waiting patiently.

Their last two records Creep on Creepin' On and Hot Dreams, established the group as one of indie rock's most unique and terrifying acts. Tracks like "Hot Dreams" and "Black Water" (featured in Breaking Bad) utilize disturbing images described so nonchalantly that they almost sound quite pleasant. As I write, I try to think of a band with a similar sound, and it simply cannot be done. 

Timber Timbre possess a style all their own. 

Going into this new record, Sincerely, Future Pollution, I had a good idea of what to expect. Yet, while all the essentials of a Timber Timbre record remain, it also manages to set itself apart across all nine tracks. On Hot Dreams, the songs create a scene of a beautifully picturesque dawn that slowly burns away at the edges of the world. This new album, in all its frightening 80’s nostalgia, feels like Noah’s flood, but with oozing black sludge instead of water.

“Velvet Gloves & Spit” kicks of the album in all of its creepy seduction. Fluffy synths contrast foreboding bass riffs, while Taylor Kirk’s vocals seep through in a strangely endearing fashion. Many of Timber Timbre’s tracks address love, relationships, and intimacy in a very weird and unsettling manner, and it’s no different here:

 

“But I once saw the touch of your velvet hand upon my face

I recall velvet gloves and spit and your embrace

And I wanted nothing else."


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Up next is “Grifting”, a track soaking wet in Bowie influence. After hearing the groovy guitars and keyboards, I half-expected the Thin White Duke to start screaming, “Faaaaaaamme!” As the song progresses, though, it seems to spiral into another dimension. Kirk’s rambling lyrics border on frenetic. For me, the song is nerve wracking because it feels like you should be able to dance to it, and yet you are unable to. Doing so would leave one feeling dirty and exposed.

The overall vibe of Sincerely, Future Pollution is incredibly futuristic but not in a glitzy and glamorous form. It reminds me of Bladerunner and I could easily see instrumental tracks like “Skin Tone” and “Bleu Nuit” fitting in the world of the 80’s sci-fi masterpiece. I also love the cohesiveness of this record. Each song references another, generating a storyline of disgusting cities filled with hordes of miserable people (I like to think it’s about LA).

“Sewer Blues,” the lead single off the album, contains everything great about a Timber Timbre track. Cue droned guitars mixed with Kirk’s seductively sinister vocals, which sound like they're sneaking up behind you. The song starts slow, eventually picking up as the chorus solemnly sways back and forth:

 

“I’ll go away back to you

I’ll go away back through your love.”


More so than any of their previous albums, Sincerely, Future Pollution sees Timber Timbre embrace political influences. Speaking on the creation of the album, Taylor Kirk said that “the mockery made of our power system spawned a lot of dark, dystopic thoughts and ideas”. If this album is any indicator of the future of our world, it doesn’t look good. In this album, nothing in the world is right. Tracks like “Western Questions” seem to address prevalent world topics such as refugees, modernization, and even some recent political elections:

 

“Western questions, desperate elections, campaign Halloween

We relax with our love lives published, slip into something obscene.”


Previous albums by Timber Timbre address the obsessive and dangerous nature of humans, but on a more individual level. Sincerely, Future Pollution discusses the same inane behaviors but applies them to society as a whole. It is a grim condemnation of the world, but one that fascinates nonetheless.

Upon listening to the first singles from this album, I was quite worried that I would not like this album at all. It sounded so different from their previous efforts, lacking the same gothic quality I had come to expect. However, when listened to in context with the rest of the album, Sincerely, Future Pollution gave all I could really ask for in a Timber Timbre record. 

It’s grimy, it’s harmonious, and, most of all, it’s paralyzing. After listening to the record all the way through, I feel this tremendous weight on my chest, forcing me to sit down and contemplate what the hell I just listened to. I highly recommend that everyone check out, not only this album, but all of Timber Timbre’s work. Each one is like its own little David Lynch film, a surreal observation into the human psyche.

 

Kyle Land is a music writer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at music@dailylobo.com or uffdaculture.blogspot.com

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