Timber Timbre: “Bad Ritual”
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Timber Timbre’s Taylor Kirk belongs to that long list of Canadian songwriters who have mastered the sound and feel of Americana despite living north of the border. His group’s fourth album, titled Creep On Creepin’ On, does American better than most American contemporaries can.
Timber Timbre’s sound perches at the intersection of folk, blues, and soul, but it’s built up through a dark, almost swampy energy and an added touch of Canadian coldness. The Toronto-based trio favors simple arrangements with minimal instrumentation, giving plenty of room for the songs to breathe and really sink in. Kirk’s lonesome voice is always front-and-center, weaving dark tales about sinners, saints, and everyone in between.
Despite the low-key feel, they’re starting to gain traction, both in their native country and abroad. Fellow Canadian Feist tapped them as her opening band on her current tour, so Timber Timbre’s smoky sound has been taken out of the clubs and put on much larger stages. Yet it still works remarkably well, as we found out when the band came in for a live session. Recorded in Studio 1A, “Bad Ritual” is a standout on Creep On Creepin’ On, living up to the album title’s name with a sound that creeps along the studio floor.
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