Tasmanian-born, North East-based Tim Gambles drops “Through The Sound” on May 1st, and the timing aligns with a busy stretch: shows across the UK through the summer, dates in Barcelona and Rotterdam, and appearances at Durham Fringe Festival and MoFest in Nottingham. The single was recorded live in a single take at MONA in Hobart with the full band in the room together, which explains a lot about how it sounds. The subject matter is the environmental responsibility tangle – the uncomfortable space between corporate accountability and personal culpability, where blame is easy to assign and harder to sit with.
Gambles doesn’t try to resolve it. The music video makes that tension visual, with a corporate figure meeting protest with pure indifference, and Gambles himself surrounded by mirror reflections – facing himself while being fully aware that the corporations are very good at redirecting that gaze inward.
The song has a lot of energy and momentum from the rhythm section, with the bass driving alongside hot, sizzling drums. The guitar riffs are understated and mostly highlight the chord progression, which is the right call – a song like this works best when the vocals have space to carry the weight. For guitar lovers, don’t be discouraged, though, because towards the climax, there is some really inventive usage of octave pedals in the bridge, à la Jack White, which is a cool break in the pacing that makes the final chorus land harder for it.
Tim Gambles has been building a live reputation for a while now – Sofar Sounds Newcastle, support slots at Little Buildings, the Cluny – and a song recorded in one live take at MONA reflects an artist who trusts the room. The tour that follows this release is worth catching if you’re in any of the cities on the run.
