A whimsical play on sounds, one must admit; with formidable creative venture as different musical styles clash all across the spectrum. But the melodic wonder behind this piece doesn’t quite hit its mark.
Tim Young & The Questionnaires, from the beginning, realizes a somewhat harmonious romance as it tackles the audience with brevity – which produces a decent rise, however temporary. This is extremely noticeable within the first couple of tracks in the album – of which deliver with entertaining modesty, but the rest do little to court one’s full attention.
The debut Ten-song album has a strong emphasis on tone, hoping to succeed it’s audience with a myriad of euphonious and mellow-sounding pieces. Questionnaires has it’s origins in the life and times of Tim Young, a person whose musical expression landed him a solid position on as guitar chair in Reggie Watt’s band choir for The Late Late Show With James Corden. But that’s not all. Young cemented his musical career at the age of eleven; having practiced guitar for some time prior and, with that, ascended higher in the industry as he toured and recorded with groups such as: Zony Mash, Fiona Apple and Sweeter Than The Day. As an enthusiast of everything Jazz and music, Tim Young & The Questionnaires is a conglomeration of this learned musical talent.
The Questionnaires administered their debut album at the The Blue Whale Jazz Club in Los Angeles only a couple of days ago. With credits to the fantastic photographs by Jeffery Mayer.
Questionnaires definitely has some golden tracks; “Always On My Mind”, “Lento For Levon” and “Canticle” assailed an almost euphoric tenderness; reminiscent of times past, the present, the future – they have the mind travel in circles as you take solace in the musical genius – of which is most definitely potent in the chords. But, there were others: “Anouman” and “Adagio For Six”, which failed to captivate as strongly as the other tracks. The same wonder that could be found in some pieces was seemingly lost in others. A fundamental problem? Not necessarily so.
It’s not a rudimentary hiccup with the album itself, as Questionnaires certainly supersedes a fair amount of traditional, more “melodic”-advertised albums of it’s kind; with the desire to encompass a host of styles within it’s boundaries a strong one indeed; but, there’s a necessity to retain consistency of some kind. Some tracks simply lack the magic; the incredible and somber feeling professed earlier, as other pieces in the album do.
But this does not infringe wholly on the collection as a whole. Questionnaires expresses value in the little things – with its contents bearing a striking and essential message about the aggregate of life’s every-day problems. It whispers; let us take a step back and enjoy the day for what it is, friends.