Timony, Mary - The Shapes We Make (CD) |

The Shapes We Make, the Mary Timony Band's debut on Olympia's Kill Rock Stars, represents the latest stage in the evolution of one of the most important voices in underground music. Flowing from the mystic prog laced veins that have informed her art for the past decade, The Shapes We Make builds upon the stark rebellious austerity of 2005's Ex Hex and imbues it with warmth and formidable urgency. Equal parts clairvoyance and virtuosity, Mary Timony and the musicians that she surrounds herself with paint in broad strokes a vivid landscape of colorful musical shapes. Timony's guitar remains at the forefront and she plays with a confidence and flair reminiscent of the guitar work in her former band Helium. On songs such as Rockman and The New Song, lush instrumentation and the addition of Chad Molter's powerful bass playing, have freed Mary of the constraints of a duo, allowing room for her guitar to breathe and drummer Devin Ocampo's polyrhythmic flair to reach percussive apogee. She conjures epic balladry in the airy, music box like charm of Windows, which highlights her unique piano voicing and Ocampo's precise and syncopated drum work. Mary's signature vocal stylings and lyrics are present throughout and remain esoteric and charged with rich imagery drawn from a vocabulary steeped in symbolism. Basic tracks for the The Shapes We Make were recorded by Jay Robbins at his Baltimore studio, Magpie Cage, in July of 2006 while additional tracking and overdubs were recorded by Ocampo in the attic studio of Timony's Washington, DC home. The record was produced by Ocampo. The freedom and sanctuary that her home studio provided, allowed Mary to focus on fully realizing her vision and art. Much more than a gifted crafter of melody, Timony is a talented multi instrumentalist, recording among other things, intricately layered keyboards, banjos, analog synths, viola, the melotron and a vintage Casio PT1. Keep an eye out for the upcoming video for the single Sharpshooter created