Tim Grimm – Gone: Album Review

By Howard King on 7th September 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Tim Grimm presents perceptive social observations of a world torn apart and our world leaders’ incapacity to respond to warnings and advice together with songs of loss are all prevalent on his latest county / folk album Gone .

Release date: 10th September 2021

Label: Cavalier Recordings

Format: CD / LP / DL / Stream

Many people will resonate with the sentiments of the songs on this album which is another compassionate response to these times when the same feelings of loss, despair and hope often found in love songs are enmeshed with political views.

All these anxieties inspired Tim Grimm to combine his theatrical and acting career by writing songs for this album. But rather than hurling profanities, Tim uses subtle metaphors and robust mockery to get his point across.

Immediately his heartfelt and warm vocals in A Dream lull you in but the honesty of his lyrics take you out of your comfort zone, which is more evident in the stripped down reprise, minus Diederik van Wassenaer’s lavish string arrangements, showing that the sentiments of the lyrics are strong enough without them.

Gentle fingerpicking and banjo blend with evocative harmonica to pare down the instrumentation in the next track Carry Us Away. In total contrast, Cadillac Hearse is a cheery old-style country tale of a speedy hearse tearing about like a 60’s musical road movie adventure. One for the good ol’ boys!

In a similar mode but of a more contemplative nature is 25 Trees. The value of the natural world has become more valued under restricted movement and he shares this enlightenment with us through his affectionate rural observations.

One of his most passionate songs dedicated to lost singer-songwriter friends (Eric Taylor, Michael Smith, David Olney, who he was inspired by and performed with) is Dreaming Of King Lear that tells of a deep contentment folk had in their presence and of the agony suffered in their absence.

There is a moving interpretation of Joseph Cross, penned by the late Eric Taylor – a tale that reflects on the struggle for survival of America’s indigenous people had in coming to terms with the ‘white man’s’ world. The title song Gone was an instant hit with us, released as a single last autumn and received deserved notoriety by becoming the Number One Song of 2020 on the US Folk DJ charts. It was also nominated as Song of the Year in the International Folk Alliance Awards.

Close family ties are a feature of his songs and, as on the autumn single release, the skilful harmonies and musicianship of Tim Grimm’s wife Jan Lucas-Grimm with sons Jackson ( banjo, guitar and mandolin) and Connor (bass) delicately intertwine with the tunes through the album. Friends James Gilmer (percussion) and Marco Feccio (electric guitar) and Eric Taylor’s widow, Susan Lindfors also accompany him.

Tim has the gift of being moving, intimate and robustly honest without being slushy and over-sentimental. Gone is Country/Folk music at its best but don’t let the coziness of the music fool you as there are hard-hitting views and emotions layered into them.