Message from an old friend telling stories of his life.

Tim Grimm Heart Land Again Cavalier

This is good natured, mature and warm folk music from Tim Grimm, a musician, actor and tour leader. The title relates to an album called Heartland he recorded in 1999. The album comes with a lyric booklet and a brief précis on the subject of each song. All this shows an album that is rooted, in more than once sense, in a location and in family.

Grimm delivers these songs in a warm, rich, easy on the ear, voice that is well suited to his subject matter. The songs included one about a much-loved father, Staying In Love, while This Old Man is about his Grandpa. A part of his story was making the move for Los Angeles to Southern Indiana. There was a farm that became home and he also writes about neighbours around the 80-acre farm that they worked and still live on.

The lyrics are evocative and delivered in a way that makes it easy to assimilate with the combination of simple melodies and crafted writing. Grimm is joined on this and previous albums by his sons, Connor and Jackson, as well as his wife Jan and a couple of guests including Krista Detor. Anyone who has encountered Tim Grimm on his recent albums will be more than happy with this new collection of material that seems like a message from an old friend telling stories of his life.

Recorded in Bloomington, Indiana, the heartland, it is a reflection of a simpler time and lifestyle. But without becoming overly sentimental. Much of this is down to Grimm’s sense of place and his easy delivery. There are also a couple of covers. One is AP Carter’s, Carter’s Blues, and the other a traditional song, Sowin’ On The Mountain, which he originally learned from his friend Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and his here arranged by Jackson Grimm. Heart Land Again is about family and is appropriately delivered by one.

Review by Stephen Rapid

From: https://www.lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/2019/9/18/new-album-reviews