Mary Timony Band "The Shapes We Make" (Kill Rock Stars)
By Lucas Salg
Friday. May 11, 12:03 AM
Like the great album Helium never got to make.

Of all the great ‘90s indie rock groups who ended far too soon (and that’s a long, long list), I would have to put Helium right up there near the top. Few bands possess a songwriting voice as unique and refreshingly weird as Mary Timony, who can not only get away with, say, writing a gorgeous (and totally straight-faced) ballad about magical unicorns, but also get you to sing along wholeheartedly without a trace of irony or guilt. That’s talent. Unfortunately, the brilliant and overlooked Magic City proved to be Helium’s swan song.

On the other hand, Timony has gone on to craft a perfectly good solo career. Though it took her a couple uneven albums to warm up, she achieved a promising return to form with 2005’s Ex Hex, and it only gets better with The Shapes We Make, which sees her fronting a full-on band again. And this isn’t just any band, but Devin Ocampo and Chad Molter of the incredible, sorely-missed Faraquet and currently of Medications. Basically, Mary picked the best possible rhythm section for her songwriting vision and it pays off in spades all over this record.

Timony has thankfully toned down the fantasy D&D stuff a little, both lyrically and in terms of instrumentation, and focused on writing terrifically catchy, expansive rock songs. The band ups the rock quotient here quite a bit, allowing Timony’s ample guitar skills to shine, while keyboards are relegated to a supporting role, which suits the music well. Ocampo and Molter work brilliantly together and their fluidity pushes Timony to write songs that are both more rhythmically complex and melodically intricate. Her voice in particular sounds better than ever. The album is perfectly divided between off-kilter pop gems like “Sharpshooter” and “Curious Minds” and a number of longer songs like “Pause-Off” and “Rockman” that just allow the talented trio to play off each other, creating some rewarding jams. There really isn’t a single weak song on the whole record.

This sounds a lot like the next, great album Helium never got to make, and that makes this reviewer a happy camper. Enlisting a backing band of this caliber seems to have really reinvigorated Timony, already a sharp songwriter, with a new sense of confidence, and I really hope Mary Timony Band flourish in this incarnation. It’s definitely her strongest batch of songs in a decade and overall, just a great listen. Well worth picking up.
www.marytimony.com
www.killrockstars.com

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Lucas Salg

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