Tim Gartland
By Nick Cristiano
Country music has famously been described as “three chords and the truth.” You could say the blues are “12 bars and the truth.” Both genres draw a lot of their power from honestly chronicling the highs and lows of everyday people leading everyday lives.
Which brings us to singer-harmonica player Tim Gartland and his new album, Truth. “Facts are facts … a lie is just a lie,” he sings in his deep, thick voice on “The Thing About the Truth.” It’s a timely reminder, but also a timeless one.
Throughout the album, Gartland keeps his aim, true as he puts a fresh spin on familiar blues themes with his own wit and wisdom, even when employing such seemingly overused phrases as “Outta Sight, Outta Mind” and “Mind Your Own Business.”
No matter how good the lyrics are though, to really elevate the songs and drive them home, you need the proper accompaniment. And boy, does Gartland get some inspired support here. Keyboardist Kevin McKendree, Delbert McClinton’s longtime bandleader, heads a group that includes Kenneth Blevins on drums, Steve Mackey on bass, and Robert Frahm and Ray DiSilvis on guitars.
This ensemble creates one killer groove after another, never falling into a rut. They begin with the Stonesy romp of “Don’t Mess With My Heart” and move on to the syncopated strut of “Leave Well Enough Alone.” They’re silky and slinky on “The Thing About the Truth” but get way lowdown on “Outta Sight …” and “Wish I Could Go Back.” They rev up the boogie for “Cloudy With a Chance of the Blues” and “Mind Your Own Business,” and lay down some funk for “Probably Something.”
Gartland and Co. turn to soul-country for “One Love Away,” enhancing the song’s poignancy (“I’m one love away from my happy place … from a brighter day”), while “Love Knocks Once” rides on a buoyant soul-pop wave.
McKendree also produced the album and as you’d expect from someone who has long worked with the master, McClinton, the arrangements are tight and propulsive and never allowed to drag, even when giving the guitars, piano, and organ their moments to stand out. The same goes for Gartland’s harmonica work. You won’t hear any showy wailing; his solos are compact and focused, serving only to enhance the emotional content of the songs.
This is what it sounds like when it all comes together – singer, songs, and music. And that’s the truth.
Listen to “The Thing About Truth”
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