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Timeshares

Limb

Written by: PP on 03/01/2023 12:29:34

Timeshares started out as a Midwestern punk band on debut album "Bearable", but quickly altered their style towards a more laid-back, Americana-inspired rock sound on 2015's "Already Dead", which didn't quite feel like a finished product just yet. What a difference seven years makes. Their third album "Limb" has further honed the latter soundscape, and now presents an expression that's atmospheric and full of warmth, containing so much emotion and heart that it feels like vocalist Jon Hernandez is about to burst open on every one of his lines throughout the record.

Stylistically, the band is now closer than ever towards the cult classic "Marriage" by Attack In Black. At the same time, Signals Midwest's latest output on "Dent" is also in similar territory. Common to both records is a vibrant feeling that oozes from the lively instrumentation. Organs, trumpets, and other instruments are added to flavor a laid-back soundscape towards the great American rock song theme as popularized by Bruce Springsteen. This cursory instrumentation is primarily in the background, but it adds so much detail to their soundscape, and in part helps with its familiar sound that simply makes you feel at home from the first listen onwards. There's less of a melodic treble ring than on their debut album, but it's replaced by a feeling of I am alive that resonates throughout the album.

A great example is a track like "Still Awake". It's a slow buildup with quiet strumming, driven by Hernandez's coarsely clean singing style that occasionally breaks into a throaty crackle to underscore the passion coming from his vocals. Later, the guitars get louder and the song crescendoes into a magical cacophony of saxophones, guitars, and pure atmospherics, just like Attack In Black did on their very best songs.

Most songs on the record follow this format, however, "Let's Quit Together" is a faster track, one of the only punk rock ones on the record that will take you towards this band's foundation. Putting them side-by-side like this, it's easy to gather that the decision to go towards The Gaslight Anthem-style alternative rock was correct, even if "Already Dead" didn't quite get there yet back then.

Effectively, the songs on "Limb" display Timeshares' best songwriting to date, showcasing the kind of emotion and passion for music that every band should capture on their records. Through strong cuts like "Town Of Cats" or the wonderfully cheerful "Dead Birds" that reminds me of UK band Ducking Punches, Timeshares take a giant leap forward here that should establish "Limb" as a similarly beloved cult release like the aforementioned Attack In Black one over the years.

Download: Still Awake, Town Of Cats, Dead Birds, Living Boy, Let's Quit Together
For the fans of: Attack In Black, Signals Midwest, The Gaslight Anthem, Western Settings, Typesetter, Bruce Springsteen
Listen: Facebook

Release date 09.09.2022
Wiretap Records