April
7, 2002
It's
not entirely surprising
that Tim Lawson, a native of London, Ont., who now calls Vancouver
home, made a substantial splash in Europe with his previous
full-length releases, 1997's The Quiet Canadian and
1999's The Right Way On. For whatever reason, European
music lovers wholehearted embrace North American singer/songwriter
who smack of being the "real deal" but who go virtually
unnoticed at home; e.g., Steve Wynn, Tom Russell, Peter Case,
Dave Alvin and Green on Red's Dan Stuart, to name a few.
Lawson,
whose winning croon, well-written songs and thoughtful arrangements
recall Bruce Cockburn at the height of his eclectic powers,
will never be accused of lacking sincerity or topicality.
Every song on his latest oozes compassion like a burst artery,
whether the songs be of an intensely personal or astutely
political nature. That he manages to reign it in before sinking
into an abyss of maudlin muck is no small feat in itself.
Reminiscent
of not only Cockburn, but Joni Mitchell circa Court and Spark,
there's a bonafide Canadian-ness to this album. Lawson's rich,
warm tenor calls to mind late-60's Gordon Lightfoot, and fans
of Blue Rodeo's folksier side are likely to find common ground
here.
Yet, not
unlike the previously mentioned Russell, Lawson isn't afraid
to step beyond the boundaries of the folk-country-rock idiom,
applying dabs of world beat and smatterings of funky R'n'B
nuances to enrich the songs and achieve a wider appeal. All
in all, Please No Talking is an impressive release
that will accrue Lawson a greater fan base abroad and, with
any luck, domestically, as well.
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