Chivers Timbers

Freedom + Stability

Elmoyd Music

Street: 11.10.12

Chivers Timbers = Tom Petty + Royal Bliss + Pearl Jam

Chivers Timbers’ debut release is a 10-track ode to lo-fi rock n’ roll with a little reggae infusion. The album blends together sounds that were heard more prominently in the early ‘90s—the acoustic guitar taking the lead while the electric provides harmonics in the background. The rhythms found on Freedom + Stability are simple, and so the listeners ears are drawn to the vocals. Quinn Chivers sings the melody, while the band provides background harmonies, making their vocal makeup sound akin to the likes of Dispatch.  The vocal dynamic, showing through the most on the track “Box Elder Street,” is the band’s strength. Though Chivers and the band sing with plenty of soul, there is a general blandness about this album that I believe stems from the lack of diversity in their sound. The entire album is essentially the same tempo and rhythmic pattern, save for the last song, “Sydney Sage.” Freedom + Stability isn’t anything too impressive, but it is worth a listen.