Album Mini-review: TimLee3 — Tin, Man
File next to: The Blasters, X, Long Ryders
TimLee3 is the band started by former Windbreakers guitarist and his bass-playing wife, Susan Bauer Lee. Last year’s 33-1/3 was another excellent twangified take on power pop, and the trio’s fifth album Tin, Man is every bit as good. But simultaneous with the release of this 11-track disc came news that – after a critically (if not commercially) successful 10-year run – the Knoxville, TN-based TimLee3 would be going on indefinite hiatus. The good news is that their final album finds TimLee3 going out on a high note; the songs and playing are as solid as ever. The album’s amped-up approach (with little of the Windbreakers’ Byrdsy jangle) showcases husband-and-wife vocal arrangements that call to mind John Doe and Exene Cervenka at their best. While TimLee3 will be missed, here’s to seeing what they come up with next.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.