REVIEW: Tim Easton “You Don’t Really Know Me”

Tim Easton — You Don’t Really Know Me

Tim Easton has a new album out, You Don’t Really Know Me (Black Mesa Records), co-produced by Brad Jones and Robin Eaton (Jill Sobule) at Alex The Great, Nashville, TN  (with additional recording next door at Club Roar) and at The Barn in Highland, NC. [For our interview of Brad Jones, see here: Interview: Producer Brad Jones on Hayes Carll and Visual Filmmaking as a Model for Songs]

Tim Easton has taken a harder turn toward some powerful songwriting in the vein of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty in this mature offering. This is a collection of country rock, country folk, and Americana songs for the top of your list, vinyl shelf and CD stack this year.

The title track kicks the album off with a clear confidence.  “You Don’t Really Know Me.” And it’s true,  folks don’t really know one another as well as we sometimes assume or wish.

“Real Revolution” is great guitar playing and sounds rather remarkably like a Dylan song. There’s a serious depth here, and it’ll draw you to commit to listen to the record the whole way through.  “Speed Limit” again bears uncanny echoes to a Dylanesque cadence, and is breaks out into a highly catchy chorus, placing this album ever higher in your estimation.

“Peace of Mind” explores contemporary karmic ideas of the importance of projecting the positive.

“Voice on the Radio” is an acoustic number with a darker more hushed tone, flinty harmonies and a shaker to evoke a gathering around the fireplace.  This tribute to John Prine is legitimately heartfelt.

“Running Down Your Soul” is an optimistic song with harmonica and is great songwriting with imagery and lines like “heartache is the distant cousin of the profiteers and the dirty dozen…” and he asks: “How long can you keep running… down your soul? And it’s reminiscent of a Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty-esque vibe.

“Son My Son” has a tribal feel and “River Where Time Was Born” is his pretty tribute to Justin Townes Earle.

https://blackmesarecords.com/products/you-dont-really-know-me-12lp-black-vinyl

Musicians on the album are Tim Easton on toy piano, rhythm, 12 string, resonator and acoustic guitars, mandolin, shakers, harmonica and vocals; Ryan Knaack on drums, percussion, thigh slaps, shaker and backing vocals; Tommy Scifres on bass, telecaster double,  Brad Jones on upright bass, mellotron, baritone tremolo guitar, harmonium, organ, electric mandolin, loop, drum programming, keyboards, electric guitar, backing vocals and bass; Packy Bergquist on lead guitar; Dylan Sevey on drums, tambourine, hand claps and backing vocals; Robin Eaton on bowed guitar, e-bow guitar, baritone guitar, elbow, saar, and backing vocals; Jonathan Beam on bass; Dave Jacques on upright bass; and Evan Phillips, Meredith Kimbrough, Nikki Barber (the Minks) and Amanda Stone on backing vocals.

All songs by T. EastonASCAP/Campfire Propaganda except “Broken Anchor” by T. Easton/Meredith Kimbrough.