Timber Timbre

“All I need is some sunshine,” croons Timber Timbre frontman Taylor Kirk at the outset of “Black Water.” Though infused with Kirk’s signature sense of supernatural longing for said light, the sunshine refrain is a bit jarring to returning Timber Timbre listeners expecting more of the macabre merriment established on earlier outings. Then the verses kick in and Kirk starts on about wailing siren she-devils and caves and burning Viking ships and all is well. In fact, the band spikes the spookiness up a notch with Creep on Creepin’ On, a record even more atmospheric, cinematic, eclectic and dynamic than its 2009 self-titled breakthrough. In the past, Kirk and company (Mika Posen, Simon Trottier) coalesced folk, blues, R&B and indie rock elements into a delectable and devilish brujo’s stew, and they’re calling this one a doo-wop album, a truth that shines through most notably on “Lonesome Hunter,” which makes me imagine a lovely young Zombie couple sharing a bag of brains on a Tunnel of Love ride. “Too Old to Die Young” kicks off like a mid-tempo Billy Joel song (if Billy Joel read the Necronomicon) then goes straight to Hell (in a good way) and ends lifting the listener skyward on the wings of angels. Timber Timbre is more than music—it’s Magick, and Kirk is as powerful as wizards come.