Tim Gearan "Moving Day" (Guernica Records 2007)

A NYC singer-songwriter moves to Boston and lands himself 10 year residency at a famed club. And he packs it out every week. Good fortune or deserved recognition?

Being a singer-songwriter with a penchant for soulful, thought-invoking roosty rock there is inevitably a warm welcome awaiting you in Boston, that Mecca of likeminded souls. Given that Gearan is currently into a ten year residency at a club in Cambridge Massachusetts it is fair to say they have embraced him as one of their own. A style that casually rambles between Randy Newman and J J Cale, a kind of laid back Stephen Fearing if you like, Gearan is from a breed of songwriter that has perfected the art of making their subjects or characters as real to you as they are to them. Delving into the homes and minds of blue collar America with a passion and understanding of how these people live and breath without ever sounding excessively earnest is a skill that only great storytellers can pull off. Yup, you can file Gearan in that drawer for sure. “What Went Wrong,” a little bit Dylan a little bit Waites, takes a sideswipe at losing oneself from the scene of a crime whilst “Moving Day” is an almost perfect reflection on what it means to leave home and all those things you have taken for granted over the years. You can practically smell the brown overalls and feel the dust off the dustsheets. In the same way that the aforementioned Stephen Fearing manages to hold your attention to the songs by practically grabbing you by the arm and dragging you into the story, Gearan is perhaps a little more subtle yet still leaves the door ajar for you to enter. It makes for a utterly compelling experience and earmarks this New York songwriter out as one to keep an eye on. You kind of get the impression that something special could be in the offing at some point. In the meantime this is a cracking record and will more than bridge the gap until the masterpiece arrives. No pressure then.

Date review added:  Thursday, May 31, 2007
Reviewer:  Del Day
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist website