Dance of Love

50年以上のキャリアを誇るアメリカ人SSW Tucker ZimmermanがBig Thiefと共演した最新アルバムをリリース!!

1969年のファースト・アルバムがDavid Bowieのフェイヴァリットだったことでも知られる、アメリカのフォークシンガーTucker Zimmermanがキャリア11作目となるスタジオ・アルバム『Dance Of Love』を〈4AD〉からリリースする。プロデュースと演奏を担当したのは、フォーク・ロックの潮流を牽引し、グラミー賞ノミネート・バンドにまで登り詰めたUSインディの至宝、Big Thief!
同バンドのリード・ヴォーカルであるAdrienne Lenkerと、Zimmermanのヴォーカルが心地よいハーモニーで溶け合う全10曲。
アルバムのジャケットをZimmermanと飾る彼の最愛の妻、Marie-Claireもコーラスで参加している。

「何年も曲を書き続け、500枚以上のソングシートで箱をいっぱいにした後、私はついに自分の道、自分のオリジナリティ、自分の声を見つけた。私にとって、ある種の歌だけが時間を費やす価値があることがはっきりした。それは、ポジティブなメッセージと平穏なバイブレーションを持つ歌。日々の悩みや不安から私たちを救い出してくれる小さな鼻歌。世界をもっと住みやすい場所にするために口ずさめる、ちょっとした歌なのだ。」 ーTucker Zimmerman

An American expat based in Belgium since the early 70s, Tucker Zimmerman released a string of obscure but coveted folk-adjacent albums before shifting focus to writing fiction and film scores in the mid-80s. By the time he returned to songwriting in the 21st century, a younger generation had championed his work, though he remains largely unknown outside of Europe and errant pockets of cult fandom. One of his advocates is Adrianne Lenker, who, along with her band Big Thief, helped produce the 83-year-old singer/songwriters first solo album in nearly two decades. Released by 4AD, Dance of Love is more of a direct collaboration than a solo outing with Big Thief (and friends Mat Davidson and Zach Burba) serving as his backing band and Lenker dueting with him on several tracks. The ten songs here are sprightly and affectionately off-the-cuff. The warm, organic textures that Big Thief bring to their own recordings dovetail neatly with Zimmermans careworn voice and exploratory musical ethos. The production is intimate, interactive, and full of breath. One of the most charming aspects about Dance of Love is its mix of playfulness and poignancy. Balancing poetic standouts like "Old Folks of Farmersville" and "The Season" are more eccentric cuts like the abstract folk-pop of "Idiots Maze" and the quirky campfire jam "Leave It on the Porch Outside," a call-and-response group track led by Zimmermans wife, Marie-Claire (pictured alongside him on the album cover). Songs like "They Dont Say It (But Its True)" and "Nobody Knows" pair hard-won wisdom with a funky folk-rock minimalism that hits both the heart and the gut. Its always interesting to hear an artist so late in their career colliding with a younger generation. When done well, it can be transformative, a bridge between then and now that creates its own liminal space. Zimmerman has lived a full and interesting life, but more importantly, his creative life is still in development. Dance of Love feels like a chapter, not an extension, and thats what makes it such a fresh and enjoyable listen. ~ Timothy Monger