Tim Dolan - The Architect

Tim Dolan

The Architect
self-released; 2016

3.9 out of 5

By April H
​

Tim Dolan's The Architect is his first collection of original material. The entire set was recorded in a home studio out of Los Angeles, CA. The subject is dark but not so dark that it's not something most people could identify with. While Dolan shared that many of the songs were written a few years ago, they seem oddly current.

“I Take My Crow” starts off the album with a tongue in cheek play on the whole idea of “eating crow.” I liked this interesting spin on the whole idea and found this song to be an interesting arrangement with a message most could identify with. The idea being there are times we all need to suck up a defeat so why not take a bit of crow served up in the most appealing way possible. 

“My Lonesome” was much more of a heartfelt song, the focus being just the pure emotion, a guitar in hand and the soul of the artist. It's a sad song of sorts but it also seems to have just a touch of hope if you listen carefully. While the vocals weren't perfect, it was refreshing to hear something that was not overly mastered or computerized. “A Song So Joyous” continues this sad and somber pace but it also seems just perfect for the album. I think most people can relate to hearing from others that life would just be easier if they were happier. 

For a little bit of a change of pace, “The Architect” brought in a bit of a Spanish feel and a quicker tempo. The same deep emotion was there, just not as slow or somber. Again it's something most could identify with as it explores each one of us being the architect of our own walls we build to keep the world out. The next step beyond our own walls is the subject of the next track “The Plaque Doctor.” The track goes a bit beyond the sadness of the individual to the loneliness of being with the wrong person. I liked this track simple because I had to listen to it several times to fully understand what it was saying and I noticed a subtle detail each time I did so.

​The album ends with the instrumental “Rebuild” which seems almost poetic as we are left to write our own lyrics for the next chapter. I must say I enjoyed the entire collection simply because it was so current to the fears many are facing in uncertain times. The sounds were raw, unpolished yet enjoyable.

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