TIM NELSON & THE CUB SCOUTS – EP
If there’s one thing Tim Nelson has over his contemporaries in the burgeoning Aussie “nu-folk” scene, it’s his uncannily dexterous and feminine voice. You see, Nelson was a boy soprano until age 17, and now at 19 has assembled a band of gentle players to bring life to the pop music in his imagination. The sound of Nelson’s voice, of course, is what makes him unique and he wields this tool with skill and grace. Giant Sleeps is a beautiful pop song – a tangy, folky romp that clearly recalls clear influences The Middle East or Angus & Julia Stone, and there are moments of indie-tinged dreaminess that work on a subliminally nostalgic level. Say Something almost sounds like the ghost of Duran Duran, and Pinocchio achieves its bittersweet layers of vocals with hushed, canon-like interaction between male and female vocalists. It’s a lovely mix, although this being an EP there aren’t enough songs to take us on a completely rounded musical journey; and sometimes the politeness of Nelson’s approach does get a little tedious. But as for hooks and chops among the quiet indie set, Tim Nelson has all the right ingredients to make something bigger and better in due course.
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