Tamblyn, Ian - Voice in the Wilderness

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Birds
	2	Paul Kustra's Vision
	3	Voice In The Wilderness
	4	Tiger Lily Road
	5	Yellow Iris, Yellow Raincoat
	6	St. Kilda
	7	Chasing The Sun
	8	The Horsehead Seal
	9	Fields Of California
	10	Boy On The Island
	11	Whip Poor Will
	12	Who But You Would Believe
	13	Ivory Bear
	14	The Quiet Place

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Information/Write-up

Stories, evocations, protests and prayers- these are the 14 new songs on Ian Tamblyn's latest North Track collection entitled, Voice in the Wilderness. "Voice" is a richly textured album produced by Tamblyn and James Stephans at Stove Studios in Chelsea, Québec. Titles include Tiger Lily Road, The Ivory Bear and Chasing the Sun.

Longtime folk singer Ian Tamblyn doesn't have much to prove to fans and newcomers alike, but this, his 14th album in a long and interesting career, is true to his roots. "The Birds," which features backing vocals and harmonies by Jennifer Noxon, offers a glimpse of laid-back, easy listening folk music. What might be a bit unique is how some instruments that are generally not associated with this genre are used, especially the trumpet in "Paul Kustra's Vision." But generally, it's the man and his guitar forging a very beautiful sonic path, exemplified no better than on "Ivory Bear." Only on songs such as the lengthy "Tiger Lily Road" or the bouncy country twang of "Whip Poor Will" does Tamblyn resemble a pop artist in the vein of Mark Knopfler or even, to a certain extent, Dire Straits. Each song describes a simple place in time or a story, but the economical way in which the singer writes results in songs much stronger than initially thought during "St. Kilda." There is also no topic taboo, as subjects range from squeegee kids to natural beauty of the outdoors. Stronger songs include the Celtic-influenced "The Horsehead Seal" and the title track, which has some Canadian references sure to bring a smile to most. A very fine effort from an accomplished, if relatively unknown, musician.

Born in Thunder Bay, this longtime folk musician performed in the Ottawa-Hull region for many years in the late '60s and early '70s. Not one to stay with just one medium, Ian Tamblyn is also a playwright, having penned several plays throughout the years. Musically though, it wasn't until Sylvia Tyson performed one of his songs on the popular Canadian television show Ian & Sylvia that Tamblyn got his big break. In 1976, he released his debut self-titled album, which garnered him a Juno Award. In 1978, this was followed by Closer to Home on Posterity Records. A series of albums and a best-of collection followed, but Tamblyn was never content with life on the road like fellow Canadian folksingers such as Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn, instead opting to live in Chelsea, Quebec. The writer of some 1,500 songs, Tamblyn started an Acoustic Waves concert series in Ottawa that remains quite popular. He has also scored several films and has recently been part of various travel expeditions to Greenland and Iceland, where both journeys led to albums. In 2001, Tamblyn released his 14th album, Voice in the Wilderness. He continues performing in and around Ontario on the folk festival circuit. He has also produced albums for Alex Haughton and Furnaceface.
-Jason MacNeil

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