When we heard that Timber Timbre were playing Bristol, it’s fair to say that we got a little bit excited. The Canadians, after all, were responsible for arguably 2014’s best track, the seductive “Hot Dreams” (“I wanna dance…I wanna dance…I wanna dance…with a black woman” – seriously, do lyrics get any better than that?). In fact, it was the highlight of an outstanding album of the same name.
Their sound is difficult to define, although a superb attempt likened them to a soundtrack to a Western movie directed by David Lynch. Arriving on stage fashionably early, the band is bathed in blood red light, so much so that they are barely visible. This, combined with the lyricism of Taylor Kirk’s vocals (“Beat the Drum Slowly” being particularly brooding) creates a highly evocative environment.
Suitably considering the rugged nature of Timber Timbre’s material, the crowd is awash with plaid shirts and straggly beards; the accompanying music would make excellent backing to moustache twiddling and mountain striding. In addition to the aforementioned “Hot Dreams”, “Curtains!?” is a highlight of the set, featuring grimy funk basslines and rawhide whoops.
In all, Timber Timbre are able to transport their material from the highly-produced studio to the stage in an effective manner, and any fans of their back catalogue will not be disappointed by their live performances.
8/10
Conal Dougan