By DJ Astrocreep
While never being a stranger to experimenting with his musical horizons, Tim Bowness has taken a slightly different step with his solo work in his latest opus, ‘Powder Dry’. Whilst still following along a progressive route, he has gone more electronic, rather akin to side project No-Man that he features in alongside modern prog supremo Steven Wilson.
It’s actually quite interesting to hear a more electronic take that is solely Bowness’ inspiration and perhaps more of an insight into how much of the No-Man project sits at his hands. It’s one that hits the mark well, showcasing just how comfortable Bowness is able to implement different sounds without ever straying too far from his progressive muse.
We still have all the delicacy and arrangements that you would expect from an artist of Bowness’ calibre and musical backstory, though hearing an unexpected medium provides further proof to those who may be less familiar with his other projects.
Balancing between the mostly delicate sounds shown through most of the release and an occasional more wall of noise approach, as shown in ‘Idiots At Large’, there is a fine balance in the album that keeps you listening intently. Even the likes of mid-list song Old Crawler, which is designed solely to keep you on edge – or so it feels – adds to the whole when it would be fairly nonsensical on its own and shows that Bowness often has the bigger picture in mind when composing a full release, rather than just the separate parts.
The only thing close to a gripe I can find with it, which I have to actually sit and look for – a good indication of just how good the album is – is that I wish there were more moments like ‘Idiots At Large’ and title track ‘Powder Dry’, as they are both very good songs and provide extra tone and levels to the release that serve almost as a palate refresher, nestled in amongst the delicateness that Bowness always creates in such a relatable way.
It’s a superb body of work that once again showcases just how underrated Bowness is as an artist, except maybe by other artists who have worked with him. While it will be a slight eye-opener for any existing fans who are not au fait with some of his work outside of his solo releases to date, it’s one that further establishes why his musical abilities should be spread even further than they already are.
- ‘Powder Dry‘ is released on Friday 13 September. Tim Bowness plays an album launch show, with Butterfly Mind, at The Camden Club the same night.
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