Review of Tim Young – No Stranger 

A solo guitarist, composer and songwriter from New York. His latest work (which is called No Stranger) is a collection of instrumental songs, very different from what I expected to hear as I’m used to the independent and underground sounds. Nevertheless I found his music to be genuinely expressive and emotional, a quality that I always like in music. 

I cannot categorize Tim Young’s music in a specific genre as you find Rock influences as well as a little Jazz, Blues and Soul hints. With the use of acoustic as well as electric guitars, keyboards and the occasional well-placed percussion sounds, No Stranger is a fusion of various genres and combination of instruments, although the basic idea of the music is simplicity.  

Calm, contemplative, tragic and beautiful at the same time. Imagine yourself sitting on a bench on a street, just watching how the world twists and turns into all that can occur. Well, No Stranger would be a good soundtrack for this moment, from tragedy to happiness and loneliness. 

“Faded”, a clear example of what simplicity can do, this is an outstanding song. With its acoustic guitar doing the rhythm part and the electric guitar making the lead melodies from beginning to end, the mood and feeling you get from listening to this song is great. Very simple instrumentation yet this straightforward approach made this song one of my favorites. 

“Spirits” was an odd song for me, and considering that I’ve listened to everything from minimalist, experimental, glitch, noise, and other “unusual” genres, this song really surprised me as I had never heard ambient mixed with rock guitars and a touch of well-placed noise. It is a nice blend and its lo-fi sound made this atmospheric song a truly new sound for me to discover. 

Although not in the realms of indie music as most people know it, Tim Young is an artist that is well worth listening to. His expressive atmospheric songs will capture your imagination. 

 Review by Jose Banuelos
Aerosol Records
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