Album Review : TC Folkpunk - Every Cloud Has a Sulphur Lining

Timothy Cameron is a Canadian artist who also goes under the name T.C. Folkpunk, and he has released a mini-album which has some depth. "Every Cloud Has a Sulphur Lining" is  - true to the name - both folky and punky, mostly consisting of vocals, guitar, and occasional harmonica. In the tradition of punky folks, or folky punks, T.C.'s record is cynical, with bitingly satirical lyrics. Imagine a cross between Billy Bragg and early Elvis Costello, and you're getting close. Like Bragg, much of the content of the album could be classified under "songs of protest", and like Costello, there's a rough and ready feel to the music that complements the words. As a matter of fact, the music couldn't be simpler and more direct. The guitar style that Cameron prefers is an amplfied acoustic guitar, which produces a metallic and intense sound that's also reminiscent of early punk.The most successful tracks on the record are the rockier ones. "Bread and Circuses" is a lively diatribe against the corporate world, with some clever turns of phrase : "No need to question their integrity/All of the important stuff is on page 3" is T.C.'s screed against the sheep-like manner in which people accept the evil in the world while blocking it out - as John Lennon said "with sex and TV". "Video Video" is perhaps a modern answer to Costello's "Radio Radio". The Costello song was about the control that the radio of the 1970s had over the hearts and minds of listeners; Cameron's song points out that the same can be said for modern television. "Land Of Lukewarm" posits the gray-flannel existence that modern life creates.There's an energy in Cameron's music that shows a lot of potential. If he continues to explore this route, he could write some marvelous stuff in the future. Right now, he's attacking some easy targets : corporations (including tobacco companies on "Looks Like There's an Industry"), and television. There's some intelligence here, and it can only be hoped that Cameron broadens his aim in the future. I give "Every Cloud..." a 7 on the England Swings scale of 1-10.