Sunny Side State of Mind – The Timbre of Cedar EP Review
FOR FANS OF: Colony House, Paramore, MisterWives
The latest six-song release from Detroit locals The Timbre of Cedar sounds like something you would hear playing at your favorite weekend breakfast spot. Sitting at a diner counter or in a cafe armchair, sipping on a mug of coffee or eating a plate of pancakes and over-easy eggs, you are accompanied by uplifting indie rock with a throwback flavor and catchy melodies. As the name suggests, Sunny Side State of Mind encourages a carefree, peaceful, Sunday brunch way of looking at life.
Let’s Go opens the record with Beach Boy-esque harmonies and a grooving summer beat, perfect for its initial release as the leading single in August 2018. Vocalist Marrissa Parham sings about spontaneous road trips, hitting the beach, and embracing the fun times of being young without letting the clouds of life’s troubles get in the way. A mid-song tempo change gives the song an unexpected twist, and solidifies its status as a punchy, upbeat opener.
(left to right) Andrew Grzyb, Sam Parham, Marrissa Parham, Alex Rahill, Eric Grzyb
Grow Your Roots brings Sam Parham’s prominent bass lines to the forefront of the verses, and soft synths and catchy melodies color the choruses. The lyrics continue to give the message and focus of Timbre’s mission as musicians: to bring joy and hope to anyone listening. This song gives a reminder that the grass is always greener on the other side, but to bloom where we are planted and “grow where your roots are”.
Sunny Side Up takes on its own kind of style, from the simple and sweet lyricism to the synth accents that sound straight out of Stranger Things. Timbre has a penchant for really opening up the throttle late into their songs, whether it’s a tempo change in the bridge, a switch to a double-time drum beat, or a sudden change to power chords and crashing cymbals, and this track takes the last route mentioned. With its easy sing-along ability and positive message, this song encapsulates the feel of the EP and lends itself perfectly to the title.
Gold is the one song that wastes no time in rocking out, with a driving guitar riff and a powerful vocal performance. The lyrics employ an extended metaphor of gold being refined in fire, just as enduring love (presumably a marriage) is tested and made stronger through life’s trials.
If you wanted a roadmap on how to truly live out a call to love to the fullest, What If Love spells it out pretty darn well:
Love takes itself to the back of the line
Stops counting the crimes, and lays down its life
So come on now, drop your weapons and the hate in your eyes, the fear that divides”
This track gives a powerful reminder that we could gain the whole world, but if we do not love, what is it all for? According to Timbre, love is “a currency that I should spend”, “a treasure we’re all after”, and “the measure of a lifetime.” Love is at the heart of all of the positivity and joy promoted by their music, and this song brings that point home.
Closing out the EP is *Flowers at Midnight*, a soothing lullaby of a track that is tear-jerking in its vulnerability and unwavering hope. Parham compares being shown love, thoughtfulness, and care in the midst of a dark struggle to being surprised with a bright bouquet in the middle of the night. This song hearkens back to the haunting honesty of ballads from Timbre’s 2017 full-length LP, Restoring the Light, and conveys both a deep struggle and a profound hope that joy will prevail.
My personal favorite part of the entire EP comes at the very end, when Flowers at Midnight closes with the same sweeping harmonies that Let’s Go began with. The record rounds out as a cohesive experience, and the listener is left with a peaceful, sunnier outlook.
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Listen to the EP here!
https://open.spotify.com/album/1xpidTziEDlnfKH0TXv7np?si=wrbSD-M-SEGymIE19HUDQA
Check out the music video for “Sunny Side Up” here!