We’ve written about the Australian songwriter Mark Timmins a few times already, first back in 2013 with his Six Songs release, and then again last year when he put out ‘To The Black Horizon’, a song we described as a ‘kind of defeated, sad mixture of plea and warning’.
Timmins is currently working on a series of songs based around old maps from the German school system in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and while the inspiration may seem a strange one, there are actually interesting parallels to be drawn between the two. As he explains:
“I see a strong connection between maps and songs…both take the infinite chaos of the world and shape it into something comfortingly comprehensible. Thousands of kilometres of rugged coastline represented with a simple line; an extended period of intense emotion reflected in a few minutes of organised sound. A map or a song can only ever be a shadow of the complex beauty that inspired their creation, but under the right circumstances they can shape a new reality with its own intrinsic beauty.”
‘Vulnerable’ is the latest single, what Timmins describes as “a call to emotional honesty and integrity.” As such, the song is as sincere as it is self-aware, trying to live a better, simpler life of candour while bemoaning the current habits of pride and shame. This is all backed by gentle-yet-technical guitar work which swells with a pleasing repetition.
“Walking numb and reckless through the trees
What’s the good in imperfection
Callous hearts are not anomalies
How we selfishly crave affectionBut we’re so afraid to cry
Woohoo-ooo
I don’t want to live a lie
Let me be vulnerable this time”
You can find all of the songs on the Mark Timmins Youtube page.