Tiff Jimber CD - Obstacles

Tiff Jimber has a solid debut here as a singer/songwriter with pleasant melodies and a little girl voice that has grown up concerns. She is backed by her own fluid piano playing (and occasional synth) and solid studio musicians. She may remind you of Tori Amos or April Lavigne. Her web site describes her as “Vanessa Carlton meets Ben Folds”, and that seems to fit, too. She still has her own style on these thirteen tracks, however.
This is pretty much pop music, but Timber also proves that she can rock out on songs like “Amanda”, which builds up and comes back down dramatically in four and a half minutes.
The lyrics focus on relationships. Most are well done, for example, these from “Watch Me Drown”: “My feet are fury with the rats that use me as their second home/
I’ve been down so long I forgot which way is up/I pray for a sign but all I find is bad luck.” Only a few are not up to par, like “Ape 7,” that apparently describes a friendship that is fading away, with the refrain “I have a gig next week, aren't you gonna come?”
One particularly interesting track is “Backwards”, which is, appropriately enough, a song played backwards. And it still sounds good.
There is a continuing focus in the music world on women singer/songwriters. Hopefully Timber is one that will gain some well deserved radio play and recognition.
Web site at http://tiffjimber.com.

- Dave Howell