Tim Ten Yen - Girl Number One Single Review

Tim Ten Yen
Girl Number One
Single Review

From the accompanying press release, I was expecting something weird, something silly, something I would hate.but I was completely wrong! Tim Ten Yen plays a kind of lo-fi D.I.Y pop song, with witty lyrics, that genuinely appeal.

Girl Number One is a great choice for a single, it's catchy, with experimental sounds that give it a very modern edge, whilst still retaining a retro feel, and reminds me of bands such as Air and Royksopp. Once the verse kicks in, it's driven along by a bouncy acoustic guitar that even steps into a reggae feel in parts. For me, this subtle but effective experimentation in sound, texture and rhythm is one of Tim Ten Yen's great skills.

'When The Song Applies To You' carries on in the lo-fi vein, and it sounds remarkably like John Shuttleworth's Yamaha keyboard is being used in the intro. Tim has a voice not too dissimilar to Neil Hannon from Divine Comedy, and overall, Tim's music is how I imagine The Divine Comedy would sound if you stripped away the lush orchestra and replaced it with a Bontempi organ. The vocal delivery is similar, as are the observant and witty lyrics, but Tim crafts his pop masterpieces with much more basic tools. 'Your Love Is All I Want' concludes the CD in the same way as the previous tracks, and is a delightfully upbeat love song. A very good and unique single!

Gary Williams