TIM EDEY - The Sleeping Tunes
Gnatbite Records GBR102
There are at least two Tim Edeys – the driving and dazzling squeezebox player and the contemplative guitarist – both distinct from anyone else and from each other. This album deals exclusively with his beguiling guitar work; more specifically, he flags this collection up as music to put children to sleep with. If that makes it sound just a tad one-paced and soporific, that is unfortunate, because there is plenty of room within the self-imposed constraints here for Tim to show what a remarkable musician he is.
With his preference for nylon strings, Tim already sounds different from the herd. The only extra accompaniment he needs is one foot tapping away, just as it was in his kitchen in Kent - no planning, no overall strategy, just open up the guitar case and see what comes out. Sometimes it is the achingly familiar, like The Skye Boat Song or The Four Marys. Others, like Gordon Duncan's The Sleeping Tune (which gives its name to the whole album) are well on their way to being equally cherished.
And for this album, Tim doesn’t even unpack his button accordion! There is also nothing here to acknowledge his growing self-confidence as a singer. His reluctance to share that with us recalls a young Martin Simpson. But, like him, he will spread his wings in due course.
www.timedey.co.uk
Dave Hadfield
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