Strand of Oaks (from the album Miracle Focus

Strand of Oaks (from the album Miracle Focus

Strand of Oaks (from the album Miracle Focus available on Western Vinyl) (by Lee Zimmerman)
Operating under the aegis of Strand of Oaks, Austin-based singer, songwriter, and producer Timothy Showalter stirs up a compelling and intriguing musical mélange, one which blends atmosphere and intrigue to equal degrees. His eighth LP, Miracle Focus, more or less lives up to its title, a haunting set of songs that vary in both tone and treatment practically from song to song. Given the fact that Showalter and his colleague Kevin Ratterman are solely responsible for the arrangements and instrumentation as Strand of Oaks — aided and abetted at times by guest vocalist Lacey Guthrie — the results are all that more impressive.

As a result, the new album begins on an auspicious note, courtesy of the hushed swirl of sounds on its opening entry, “More You”. While “Communication”, the track that follows, offers a more emphatic approach, as the name otherwise indicates. Nevertheless, the duo falls back into an eerie ambiance with the dreamy designs of “Amanda” and keeps the mystique intact from that point on. The darker designs of “Future Temple” give it a tempestuous tone. The cosmic cacophony present in “Party at Monster Lake” kicks off courtesy of an acoustic strum that eventually builds and culminates in a shuddering sensation. The pulsating tempo driving the appropriately named “Switched On”, the steady pulse and confluence of effects within “Navigator”, and the ongoing intrigue of “Ascend You” add to that somewhat ominous impression. The two entries that end the album, “Fantasy Wranglers” and “Miracle Focus,” follow suit.

Nevertheless, no two songs sound the same. Simply stated, Strand of Oaks excel in diversifying the dynamic, which, in turn, helps further the fascination. While some might find the accessibility factor somewhat strained due to Strand of Oak’s penchant for unpredictability, there’s no denying the magic and mystique Showalter and Ratterman achieve within each of these offerings. So too, the music can be challenging and even chilling to a certain degree. At any rate, it’s an escape from the ordinary, and that in itself offers ample reason to investigate it in its entirety. (by Lee Zimmerman)
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