TIM CHESLEY: Rain & Blue Sky (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In an interview, French-American musician Tim Chesley spoke of his desire to merge his two previous EPs, "Rain" (2016) and "The Last Blue Sky" (2021). This has now been achieved with "Rain & Blue Sky". Listeners to these two EPs will find nothing new, as Tim Chesley didn't want to change a single eighth-note. However, he has had the good idea of redistributing the order of the tracks, so that a song from "Rain" can follow one from "The Last Blue Sky", which is judicious in itself, but can entail a danger: the five years separating the two albums could unbalance the unity of the album.

But that's not the case here, and listening to this album, you'd think it was a third record. The cover sets the tone: the artist's pensive head seen from the front against a turbulent sky. Introspection and other sonic derangements are the order of the day. Rainbow Song' opens with a melancholy, contemplative spirit, then the second track that follows reveals a darker side, with forward guitar and distorted vocals in a spirit close to The Cure ('Lovesong'). Tim Chesley's voice, deep and warm, is an effective vocal guide in these agitated soundscapes.

The artist moves in a pop-rock vein with hints of progressive, the tracks flowing seamlessly and harmoniously, introducing female vocals and backing vocals (When You Found', 'When Love Will Reign'). 73' is more melancholy and ambitious, with a large instrumental section, and Tim Chesley confirms these progressive ambitions on the delicate and subtle instrumental 'Newport' or the ambitious 'Chinese Lady' close to Mike Oldfield. The album's greatest successes, however, are the tracks that stray from this path: 'Into The Light', a catchy, infectious reggae with its Clavinet, or 'All I Want' with its addictive synth gimmick. A minor blunder in the set-list: having placed a second ballad ('Dreamers', stretched ad nauseam, just like 'La Pluie', the only track in French) after the remarkable 'When Love Will Reign'.

"Rain & Blue Sky" sums up the last six years of Tim Chesley's career. It's an engaging listen, and it's a pity that the artist curbed his progressive verve on his previous EPs, which form the backbone of this present album. This record may even close a period in his life, as he has decided to form a band to start afresh: stay tuned, as The MoonShaders may soon find its way onto Music Waves. - Official website

TIM CHESLEY

RAIN & BLUE SKY

AUTRE LABEL

ROCK