THE TRUTH ABOUT US

Released: January 23, 2001

Tim Easton's second full-length solo disc is more than a realization of the potential suggested by his little-known back catalog (the solo Special 20 and the Haynes Boys' Guardian Angel). It's the emergence of a stunning young talent aided by a versatile veteran band. A litany of lost loves, broken promises, and persistent regrets are Easton's fodder, but feeling bad rarely sounded so good. Even his darkest tales are told through folk-pop that's bouncier than a bobble-head doll, courtesy of Wilco's Jay Bennett, Ken Coomer, and John Stirratt, who serve as the core of Easton's backing band throughout. And although their role is prominent, much of The Truth About Us sounds less like Wilco than a young Elvis (Costello, on "Happy Now") or Dylan (Jakob, on "I Would Have Married You"). At its very best, the disc shakes those echoes for a sound all its own, as in "Get Some Lonesome," when Easton's simple but evocative lyrics and modest, vaguely husky tenor seem to float above Bennett's whistling keyboard line.

Anders Smith-Lindall