RIYL: early Tori Amos, Christina Perri, Sara Bareilles
The most challenging part of being a singer songwriter in America these days seems to be… being a singer songwriter in America. Living in a big city used to guarantee a plethora of material for even the most sheltered songsmith, but these days the average metropolitan lifestyle doesn’t seem to be as compelling as it used to be. On her 2005 album “Obstacles”, Tiff Jimber tried valiantly to rise above these constraints but ultimately succumbed to the reality that writing songs about the tedium of ones life often simply leads to tedious music.
A Berklee College of Music grad, Jimber learned piano at an early age and had already acquired enough material by age 17 to release the self-produced “Never Takes Too Much.” After college, Jimber made her way to Los Angeles, assembled some backing musicians and dedicated herself to songwriting full time. While she is often described as “not your average piano girl”, most of the tracks on “Obstacles” follow a standard formula of piano-based songwriting that would be familiar to fans of Ben Folds or Sara Bareilles.
In places on “Obstacles” Jimber manages to evoke Tori Amos circa “Little Earthquakes”, but the majority of songs here lack of a decent melody and are devoid of hooks or compelling subject matter. Midway through the album, “Ape 7” hits a cringe-worthy low-point lyrically, as Jimber attempts spoken word storytelling that includes the lines “You loved animals/Converted to vegan/While I ordered a steak/And a side of fries.” Although “You Were Always There” and “The Wall” achieve more success with jaunty piano riffs and danceable rhythms, the songs lack real identity and quickly fade from memory.
In fairness, Jimber has greatly matured since releasing “Obstacles”. Her most recent release “Burning at Both Ends” showcases a more radio-friendly pop sound and was featured in Us Weekly. Tiff is currently recording material for her next LP and recently released a cover of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” via her website.
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