SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TIM BOVACONTI – AGAIN

TIM BOVACONTI
AGAIN
INDEPENDENT

Tim Bovaconti is a veteran of the Canadian music scene. His CV is very impressive, with the list of artists he has worked with being the who’s who of artists, including Burton Cummings, Ron Sexsmith, Kim Stockwood, Andy Kim, Randy Bachman, and many others. With the album Again, he steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

With Again, it is easy to see that Bovaconti has his own style. This is a straight-ahead rock album, with a few interesting twists and turns. He produced the entire album on his own, and played all the instruments, and yet when the album plays, it sounds like a band is in the studio, rather than one individual.

Bovaconti writes a lot of hooks that embrace the listener almost immediately. It isn’t a throwback album, but it does have the musical sense of the 1970s and the 1980s. The album kicks off with the title track, “Again”. Some songs do feel a little retro, like “Wait”, a lovely short instrumental that would not be out of place in the mid-1960s, while other songs, such as “Keep Moving”, are definitely more forward and progressive.

Bovaconti has made a straight-ahead rock album, with a few side trips along the way. This is an old-fashioned collection of top-quality songs. The songs are expertly written, and songs like “Old City Hall” or “Colours” show how he can rock out. However, “All Along” and the country-tinged “Light For The Win” allow him to explore his more gentle side.

Again is a great album. It is strong and holds together. There is a great deal of variety to keep the listener interested and Bovaconti makes all the songs fit together. It is an album that invites the listener to come back again and again and keep discovering new things about the songs. Bovaconti is talented. While he is an excellent musician, he has a strong and distinct voice. Everything really comes together for this excellent album.

SPILL FEATURE: EXPERIMENTING AND HAVING FUN…AGAIN – A CONVERSATION WITH GUITARIST TIM BOVACONTI

For a taste of what to expect at Hugh’s Room on November 17th, here’s some coverage of Tim Bovaconti’s self-titled album release party in 2010 originally performed at Toronto’s Cadillac Lounge:

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