 Kevin Mathews: Tim Lee is certainly on a roll now. Lee has gone from an album every decade to consecutive releases - which is great news for every follower of authentic country-folk rock music executed with passion and vigor. And this is the real McCoy, boys and girls, not the corporate countrified travesty that the Eagles are dishing out on tour - if you're not touched by the heartfelt energy in songs like "I Wanna Believe" and "Across the Tracks," you're comatose! Mike Bennett Tim Lee -- No Discretion (Paisley Pop): With a weather beaten voice, ace guitar skills and a bevy of rootsy rock songs, the former Windbreakers co-frontman (along with Bobby Sutliff) is pretty darned reliable. He combines some basic blues rock inspired moves with some more heady inspiration from the likes of Television and The Velvet Underground, throws in some strong hooks and substantial melodies, and then performs them with intensity. What's there not to like? The passion begins with "I Wanna Believe", a fiery declaration with stinging guitar work. With lines like "I once knew a lot things/I've since come to forget/grew up and I lost it/and it hasn't come back yet", this song could be looked at as a man questioning his faith, whether it's faith in religion or ideals. Superdrag's Don Coffey, Jr. pushes things along with his drumming (and his production -- in addition to Coffey Jr., Mitch Easter and Neilson Hubbard also twiddle some knobs). I love the title track, which has a Velvets-gone-South feel (using a structure similar to The Cars' Velvets-inspired "Moving in Stereo") with Lee's Dylan-ish vocal intonations perfect for his scathing lyrics: "‘cause talk is cheap they say/still you signed up for your lessons/but you don't have much to say/when you show up to confession." This is a slow burning conflagration. The album as a whole has a nice balance between catchy rockers like "Keep Me Down" and more pensive material such as "More or Less". The only thing better than this would be if Lee could hit the road and dazzle roadhouses across the country with this strong material. Eric Sorensen: No Discretion - the latest solo disc by Tim Lee. The Paisley Pop label has released another gem from veteran guitar-pop performer Lee. This disc has more of a roots-rock and roots-pop feel to it than 2003's Under The House, and the vocals and songs remind me of Russ Tolman's early 90s work. The song with the most jangle, "Sure Bet," opens with a McGuinn-styled riff and then quickly sounds like a classic Long Ryders tune. Pop fans won't be disappointed by this thirteen track album that Lee labored over for eighteen months with some talented producers and sidemen. Long may you run, Sir Tim! NOTE: Tim Lee and Bobby Sutliff occasionally reunite and perform and record as the Windbreakers. The forthcoming Buffalo Springfield tribute disc (to be released by Not Lame Recording in the spring of 2005) will feature the Windbreakers' excellent version of "Expecting To Fly." |