Tim Cullen – Fun Razor

Tim Cullen – Fun Razor / 2004 Long Live Crime / 12 Tracks / http://www.timcullenmusic.com/ http://www.longlivecrimerecords.com / Reviewed 25 January 2005

Immediately reminiscent of early Elvis Costello, Tim Cullen’s music evokes the rich heritage of alternative music, simultaneously reaching out to many places in many eras. Pure radio-pop if one ever heard it, “Fun Razor” will be a hit to music-savvy college-alternative veterans just as it will be to the 13-year old mallrats who will undoubtedly pick up this album. The slightly nasal delivery of Tim’s meshes well with the smoothed-out, innocuous guitar lines and perfectly-timed drum beats, especially on a track like “All”. Incorporating a synthesizer at key moments during “Halfway Home”, Tim goes into territory that was previously thought conquered by Illinois’s own The Red Hot Valentines, but puts forth a pop-rock approach that improves upon the Valentine’s blueprint considerably. “Fun Razor” doesn’t follow directly the alternative tides that have led to bands like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, but draws more heavily from the power-pop and shoe-gazing rock that made their biggest imprint over a decade ago.

The shuffling dance beat and guitar solo of tracks like “On the Down” belie and paradoxically bolster the sedate, Sean Lennon-vocals laid down by Cullen on the track, making the track stand out amongst a disc of hits. In fact, the music contained on “Fun Razor” would sound equally fitting on Chasing Amy as it was on Summerland and North Shore. This rich mixture of new and old, coupled alongside a solid backing band and a Gallagher-esque set of vocals (just listen to “How Long”) will make this disc fitting in every time period and to practically anyone who will listen to it. Up-tempo tracks like “We Are History” vary up the average far on “Fun Razor”, and are done with the same tender loving care and ear for eir audience as any of the other tracks on the disc.

Tim Cullen is the real-life example of what your average singer-songwriter with an acoustic should do to distinguish themselves from the teeming mass of similar artists. “Fun Razor” is a fun album that is incredibly diverse in the influences tapped and the styles attempted. Ending the disc with a very emotive and almost brooding track, “Valentine”, Tim Cullen creates a path to the future. Using a style that is more reminiscent of The Early November and Midtown, Tim shows that ey can be relevant to the current kiddies just as ey was to the immediate past. If you want a retrospective of what has happened in the last decade of alternative music without ever changing artists or CDs, “Fun Razor” is perfect for you.

Rating: 6.8/10

Top Tracks: Valentine, All