I’ve long felt that the 80s glam/hair/pop metal crop has long faced their share of unfair criticism. If you can look past the outrageous outfits and sexually charged lyrics, you’ll see a genre filled with excellently written, hook laden songs and musicianship beyond compare. Take Danger Danger for example. Their two biggest hits were “Naughty Naughty” and “Bang Bang”. One might call their tendency to say the same thing twice stupid stupid, but that’s besides the point. Like it or not, Danger Danger was a talented band. Their guitarist, Andy Timmons, was and still is a talented guitarist, so much so that he left to embark on a solo career in the mid 90s.
In the nearly 30 years since Timmons stepped out on his own, there’s few musical stones he’s left unturned. He’s tried his hand(s) at bluesy hard rock (2006’s Resolution), power pop (1998’s Orange Swirl), and even a tribute to The Beatles (2011’s aptly titled Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper). Yet Timmons remains determined to push the boundaries of his musicianship and creativity further with each subsequent release. This mission becomes apparent as ever on what may be his most ambitious album yet, Electric Truth.
On this release, Timmons shifts gears from the guitar centric hard rock he’s known for and explores the vast worlds of blues, jazz, and funk, all while maintaining a rock n’ roll edge. The opening “E.W.F.” kicks things off in grand fashion, boasting loads of funky grooves and jazzy undertones. Other songs that boast this soulful flavor are the bass heavy “Shuggie” and upbeat “Say What You Want”, the latter of which features the vocal talents of Corry Pertile. With a voice that lies somewhere between prime Rod Stewart and David Coverdale, Pertile lends his talents on the album’s closing track as well, “Take Me With You”. These two songs alone are enough to make me want an entire album collaboration between he and Timmons. Perhaps sometime in the future!
The rest of Electric Truth is rooted in traditional blues rock similar to latter era Gary Moore. Timmons’ melodic and powerful leads channel the fallen Irish guitar giant, but this isn’t because he’s purposely trying to sound like Moore. It’s because Timmons too plays from the heart. Whether it be the scorching shredfest that is “Apocryphal”, the graceful “When Words Fail”, or the slightly southern tinged “Johnnie T.”, Timmons puts his soul on full display, pulling no punches in the process. He isn’t just a flashy shredder who plays fast for the sake of playing fast; he’s a flashy shredder who plays fast for the sake of conveying emotion through song.
The truth is that Electric Truth is a thrilling listen from beginning to end, not just for fans of guitar music, but fine music in general. The performances are magnificent, the songwriting is top notch, and the seamless transition from genre to genre, sometimes within a single song, is something Timmons should be extremely proud of. That being said, I’m sure by the time I’m finished writing this review, Timmons will be busy at work on his latest opus, which will probably be a hybrid of death metal, bluegrass, and EDM.
8 out of 10
Label: Timstone Records
Genre: Blues Rock
For fans of: Gary Moore, Eric Gales, Joe Satriani
I love how eloquent and beautifully done this review of Electric Truth.
His music and songs are just incredibly amazing.
Thanks for sharing this! He’s such an unknown taken to many but Not for long… He’s an amazing person as well as a Guitar God. AT Keep sharing your Amazing music and message of love with the world.