Tim Herron
Corporation
self-released
If you abbreviate the band’s name, the Tim Herron
Corporation fits right in with the lifestyle of a number of
jamband fans. Hailing from somewhere near or in Syracuse,
NY, THC has released a ten-song collection called "City" that
both incorporates and defies the title and their more urban
relatives within their home state. This is a sound you expect
from somewhere farther south or west, but it’s a good sound
nonetheless.
With the ghostly figure in a cowboy hat walking away from the backdrop of
the big city with his Telecaster on the cover, I wasn’t sure what to expect
from this disc. But after
weeks of listening to it and playing it for friends, there’s just
one conclusion to be made: this is a very good disc. The
production, playing and songwriting is well above average,
and the tongue-in-cheek humor make it highly enjoyable. The
Tim Herron Corporation has mixed country/blues influence
with funk, rock, reggae and even some Latin influence to create
a solid disc.
"City" starts off on a high note with California, an
uptempo funky rock romp that ends just before the jam takes
off. This is immediately followed by the 100% country
Nebraska, the song I have to spend the most time on.
Echoing Ghost Riders in the Sky at times, this fast
picking shuffle (held down by drummer P.J. Bullock) tells the
story of a poor soul broken down somewhere along I-80 in the
dead of summer. Although it’s a send-up of the Husker state
and our reverence for college football, only someone from
somewhere like New York who has experienced Bosselman’s
in Grand Island right off the Tom Osborne Expressway could
come close to catching the desperation of being in that forlorn
position. We’ll forgive Tim’s geographic license (the T.O.
Highway is definitely more than 30 miles from Lincoln) in
favor of the humorous refrain, "I don’t wanna die in
Nebraska". If Tim ever decides to come back to the Husker
state, he’ll get a huge response when he plays this song in
concert. Track three, Greis Felon, the story of an
unfortunate shoplifter, releases the aforementioned Latin
influence, and may be the first time I’ve heard Robitussin used
in a song. Hate Singing the Blues is a slow lament that
is effective in its positioning on the disc, allowing Herron to
showcase his voice and guitar tone. Immediately following is
Propeesha another up-tempo country send-up,
unleashing Herron’s hot picking. Track six, Goin’ Back
drops the tempo back down to a slower blues/rock feel, telling
the story of loss of love in the music business. The title track
is a bit more urban with a hip-hop vocal feel laid over the
chorus groove. Bedspins, the story of a bad night at
the bar, has a laid-back reggae feel, while Damn the
City returns to the uptempo country genre, allowing
Herron to shine on guitar. The disc ends with the rockin’
Jump Right In, penned and sung by bassist Araq
McElveen, which leaves the listener on a high note.
The Tim Herron Corporation gets a solid B+ for this effort and
will no doubt find a larger fan base if this disc gets in the right
hands. There’s something for those fans that tend to the
country/bluegrass mode, as well as those looking for a more
modern’ flavor. Although there is no evidence of extended
jamming or psychedelia, this disc works. Perhaps the best
thing I can say about THC is that they aren’t taking themselves
too seriously – playing the music they like to play, weaving their
various influences into a pleasing collection that will turn
some heads – both in the city and the country.