With their literate, lush, and countrified indie folk Brooklyn's
Timesbold spans the rather sizable gap between
Lyle Lovett and
Bright Eyes on their self-titled debut. Lead singer and songwriter
Jason Merritt's voice is plaintive and earnest, with a slight quiver, but never pretentiously emotive. And his lyrics, while not dazzlingly profound, speak of heartbreak and disappointment in simple and subtle terms, always avoiding cliché.
Timesbold has an intimate handmade feel, and the instrumentation -- mostly acoustic, but including such odd choices as theremin and optigan -- suits the songs well, adding an extra dimension to this well-rounded debut. ~ Jason Nickey