Sophie's Floorboard: Timber Timbre

Timber Timbre are a four-piece indie/folk/blues band from both Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec (both in Canada) that formed in 2005. The band has since then released a total of five albums. Their sound has progressed quickly in that time, both due to artistic advancement and production quality. The band's sound is often defined by their ethereal, baritone vocals, which sounds like that of the greats (Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits), with a more modern touch of Nick Cave and Jeff Buckley (though those could also be classified as "greats"). The vocals are intimate, but laden with reverb and an entrancing persona. This could be said about the entire band, actually. The bass and drums jam along at mid-tempo, creating a walking/slight swaying vibe, displaying the blues influence. The other instruments, often keyboards and guitars, and occasionally strings/horns, add layer upon layer to the basis of each song. This makes them distinct, and gives each song its own characteristic while filling up a lot of space. This is a major reason I am so into this band. They make very filling songs without sound too complex or cramped. There's a fullness to it, but there's room for every instrument to breath. Basically what this band does is take the down-trodden, dark aspect of blues, the chords and storytelling of folk, a tinge of psychedelia with the reverb/tremolo sounds, and mix it with the modern experimentation and production of indie rock. As far as their modern comparisons, bands such as Broken Social Scene, M. Ward, The National, and Editors could be some examples. Though Timber Timbre certainly has a sound very distinct to that of the aforementioned. This is a great band that more people need to hear. If you're new to them, check out their most recent material and work your way back. Enjoy.