Latest album from Tim Bragg - featuring a re-mixed and re-mastered version of Where is the Fighter? (originally released on the EP: Where is the Fighter? Songs for Phil Lynott 2009) - a range of guest guitarists alongside Jules Reason. Saxophone courtesy of James Vargas. The album contains violin and harmonica too! Buy downloads from itunes etc - listen at Spotify.com
First review:
Multi-instrumentalist Tim Bragg’s latest CD is an interesting collection of heartfelt songs, crafted with skill and constructed with Bragg playing most of the instruments with a talented posse of guest musicians adding layers of guitars, saxophone and violin.
Album opener ‘On the Radio’ and track two, ‘Chasing Down Dreams’ both appear to be cries for recognition for the hard work and skill demonstrated by Bragg. ‘On the Radio’ in particular is honed as a radio friendly (Radio 2, folk rock niche programme) tune but at the same time decrying the lack of airplay his music receives. The irony is understated and it might have been an opportunity to be a little more militant and caustic, but Bragg remains restrained in his assessment of the difficulty of ‘breaking through’ in the music biz; terrestrial radio airplay still being a benchmark for ‘success’, despite the internet. Similarly, the second track treads the same landscape but is less directly aimed at achieving musical success but instead takes a more general view.
Track 3 is ‘Where is the Fighter’, a ‘fan poem’ to Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, an obvious hero and influence on Bragg’s vocal stylisation.
That vocal delivery does have its drawbacks though. There is an emphasis on Americanisms in the vocal stylisation that sometimes goes against the obvious Englishness of Tim Bragg. So, the middle eight of the next track ‘When Spring Comes Round’, is a joy as the vocal delivery briefly becomes very, very English, the voice soft and inviting, reminiscent of Dave Gilmour and for this reviewer the song would have benefited from being turned inside out, the middle eight becoming the main structure on which the song was built.
‘Some Answers’ is a pleasant track and demonstrates both Bragg’s melodic skill and his ability to put together very listenable chord progressions.
First highlight of the album though is the next track, ‘Night is Fallin’, which nestles in a slow, laid back groove, and again Tim Bragg finds a softer tone in his vocals which sits nicely on top. The Phil Lynott /faux American accent is none present on this song, so the dropping of the ‘g’ in the title was not necessary.
Second highlight is ‘Sunrise’, as the mid tempo beat is accompanied by dynamic major chord structuring and a very interesting melodic line.
But then there is ‘No Confidence’, a self fulfilling prophesy as much as a song title. Avoid, use the skip button.
‘Get Right Back’ brings the listener back into more familiar Bragg territory after the aberration of the previous track. The song rolls along, doesn’t build but doesn’t stall either. The chorus does bear a resemblance to an 80’s hit, but you decide what that is. Makes for a good parlour game- best go back to No Confidence while you play ‘Spot That Tune’.
The album title track follows, it is a long track and could have been edited down, but contains a catchy chorus with nice multi-tracked saxophone refrains – a reminder of another influence of Bragg’s, Van Morrison, who uses that device on his ‘Moondance’ LP.
The best track on this LP is ‘Can’t Run Away’, which returns to the slow laidback groove, almost bringing thoughts of tropical beaches and long cold drinks in its feel, despite the lyrics taking the listener in another direction.
‘Montbron Girl’ is a disturbing tale of doomed love and murder, all wrapped in a traditional style folk song, complete with mournful fiddle. Phil Lynott returns on this song and it certainly harks back to ‘Whiskey in the Jar’.
The album concludes with ‘Cruel Trick’, that in part goes into a soul feel in the chorus that wouldn’t be out of place on an Al Green album and ‘Won’t Change a Thing’, with multi-track fiddle that gets well into Van Morrison’s manor, complete with ‘ain’ts’ in plentiful supply.
‘Stranger Through the Window’ is the latest in a long string of CDs that Tim Bragg has put out in a remarkably short time and is certainly the strongest of his vocal/song CD output. His profligacy is testament to his skill as a confident songwriter and constructor of very listenable songs. If he has a fault, it is that profligacy and obvious enthusiasm for his music doesn’t have an ‘edit’ default - and as a result there’s one song that shouldn’t have been on the album. Additionally, his voice is at its melodic best when it settles back into the mid-range softer mode so some of the higher range (and strained) ‘Lynott/Morrison/Americanism’s could be reigned in.
But overall, a fine, likeable collection of songs from a talented songwriter and musician.
Review by Chester King, May 10th 2010.
Review from ROOTSTIME:
The British ex-politician (he was a candidate for the English Democrats Party to the European Parliament elections in 2004), author and singer-songwriter Tim Bragg from Somerset [Roots Time] is mainly known in the latter capacity. He is a prolific musician who almost every year has a new CD on the market.In 2008 and 2009 there were even two per year: he made last year as a sort of tribute album for Phil Lynott, [who] in January 1986 deceased lead singer of the band 'Thin Lizzy'. The album was an EP- entitled "Where Is the Fighter? - Songs For Phil Lynott "and appeared in the pop icon this year [would have been Phil’s 60th birthday]. This record was earlier last year, preceded by a full studio album of Tim Bragg "Waiting For The Light." Mid 2010 - with some delay because in October 2009 his foot broke - let him now his first new album for this year: "Stranger Through The Window". The fourteen songs that got a place on this album were composed last year in the summer during a two-month stay in "la douce France." The title track "Stranger Through The Window" was a heavy rainy day when he looked through the window of the house where he stayed and someone in the adjacent house next door at the same time doing the same saw. Another true story from real life can be heard in the tragic tale of "The Montbron Girl" that as a "murder ballad" could be categorised. The everyday things in life were always the core of the lyrics by Tim Bragg has written. The accompanying music is generally quite melodic and sometimes melancholic pop with a full instrumentation is put on record. Yet this CD is in some cynicism and bitterness over his missed chances to kick it up a professional singer, and he screamed for a little more recognition in words has turned into the songs "On The Radio" and "Chasing Down Dreams" allowing begint. Ook album "Where Is the Fighter?" from the Phil Lynott-ep was rightly a place of honour on this album in a slightly revised version. A broad mix of emotions and moods around climate change we hear in the songs "When Spring Comes Round" and "Sunrise". Other tracks have a sauce of folk and country had poured over them, partly through the addition of virtuoso violin playing by Toby Hill. Typical for this are the songs "Night Is Fallin '" and "Some Answers". Tim Bragg is a gifted songwriter with a good voice and knows the attention of the listener from the first song to grab and hold on to the last:"Won" t Change A Thing ", very handsome last track on his CD. That is not because so many given by the much writing, some artists sometimes even less willing to place a strong songs on their CD's. These weaker numbers are not yet reflected on this excellent album by Tim Bragg. With a sincere "but do so quietly" we would like to conclude this review. (Valsam) though Tim Bragg was composing a lot of new songs and releasing one or two records per year, once more we really cannot find any weaker song on this recent album on track musts 'Stranger Through The Window'. Melancholic and melodic stories that are being shared with the listeners on a bed or contemporary pop music. Another fine masterpiece signed: Tim Bragg. "- www.rootstime.be
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