Bad Tattoo
Jeff Talmadge
Bozart Records
2001
11 tracks
The work of Jeff Talmadge is special, very special indeed. Most so-called singer-songwriters are instrumentalists who happen to also sing and imagine, rightly or wrongly, that they have the ability to write songs as well. Most times, the singer-songwriter is especially good at only one of the three requisite talents: writing, singing, and playing. The writing seems usually to come from the music and not the words and the focus seems to be on performance and not content. There are a few exceptions, and Jeff Talmadge is one. Here is a craftsman who clearly pays full attention to every facet of his work.
Jeff Talmadge is, first and foremost, a poet with an excellent sense of story and a sensitive feel for which words will tell his tale most effectively. His lyrics are tight, evocative, and to the point. That there are no waste words says a lot for the craft and attention to detail that this writer must apply to every lyric he writes.
In his melody and in his arrangements, the compositions of Talmage are a lot more interesting than most singer-songwriter efforts, catching the listener's ear and imagination. Even so, the music never overtakes or undercuts the lyric, instead underlining and complementing the words and moving the story forward. For Talmadge, the words and music are not two separate elements but form a unified whole that becomes more than either would be alone.
Talmadge plays guitar with an efficient elegance that brings a certain quality to his sound and raises it above the run of the mill. Even with just Talmadge and his guitar, these songs would hold up very well. With the support of other players in his sensitive arrangements, they become finely tuned art.
As a singer, Talmadge is also a cut above most singer-songwriters. He has a pleasant voice and he knows how to use it to best advantage. What makes his vocals truly stand out is that he is not only a singer of words but an interpreter of the story behind the words. Talmadge comes to these songs with an excellent sense of theatre yet he shows restraint, bringing to each song only the degree of emotion that is required by the story being told.
Many artists will bring one or more of these talents to the stage. Few bring all three. To see such an artist is an experience not to be missed. Jeff Talmadge is one of those rare artists.
While Talmadge clearly has his own distinct vocal style, on several songs here I find that his approach reminds me very much of the understated but always moving style of country singer Don Williams. On several songs, his vocals have that dragged-back sound often affected by Bob Dylan, although Talmadge is much more subtle in his use of this technique.
Tightly-written and often dense with imagery, some of Talmadge's lyrics remind me of the work of Leonard Cohen, especially in that poet's early years as a songwriter. With its shadowy theme and repeated phrases and imagery, "Lie to Me" is especially like the lyric-writing of even more recent Cohen songs.
Some of the arrangements here also seem to employ the same techniques used by Cohen. "Ophelia" is just one of several examples on this release where Talmadge employs a stylish mix of instruments, vocals, and counter-melodies reminiscent of Cohen's approach. Talmadge never sounds like he is copying Cohen, only like he lives in the same artistic stratosphere and is guided by a similar muse.
I highly recommend the work of Jeff Talmadge. If you are interested in seeing what a fine artist and skilled craftsman can achieve, any of Talmadges release should blow you away. Read his words. Listen to his music. You'll be impressed.
Learn more about Jeff Talmadge at www.jefftalmadge.com. Listen to clips from his four CD releases on RealAudio here. Read my previous review of Talmadge's release The Spinning of the World at Sound Bytes.
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Review written: March 9, 2005
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