Hearing Aide: Timothy Alice and the Dead Star Band ‘SpaceStation AM500’

SpaceStation AM500 is the debut album from Timothy Alice & the Dead Star Band, a trio hailing from Buffalo, NY. Timothy Alice (stage name for Timothy Patrick Henderson) displays an astonishing number of influences in both his writing and singing styles throughout this record. With the help of Matt DiStasio on bass and Bub Crumlish on drums, Alice’s lyrics paint incredible pictures of an America we can all recognize today. You could be on the Great Lakes, in a sprawling metropolis, or the last bar on the highway between this state and that; each of these locations share a tale that Timothy Alice invokes with each track.

The opening track, “2 Am,” paints a picture that many may find familiar. The promise and elation of this song invokes the feeling of many 2 am’s we’ve all felt while bar-hopping around New York State – still full of energy and grit, while openly wondering where the night is going to take you. “It’s 2 AM and this place is jumping. I’m just trying not to lose my head again.”  The song feels like a packed bar with 2 hours left before last call, full of vigor and hope.

SpaceStation AM500 mixes soul, blues, R&B and folk roots into a delightful set of songs with so much heart and movement in them. The band excels at feeling like you’re on the road with signs flying by in the darkness during “Just Take My Hand.” “Shadow on My Tail,” the longest track on the album, really showcases the soul in Timothy’s voice and also features a ripping solo from guest guitarist Andrew Kothen. The album also features a love song to the Windy City. The soul in Timothy’s voice while singing “Oh, Chicago” makes me long for a city I’ve only ever been to twice.

As the night grows longer and we get further into the album, “Honeypie” provides a tale of distorted love, building up to a cacophony that would be exception to see live. “4 Am,” the final track on the album, really highlights the difference two hours can make in a night. It tells a somber and sobering tale that we’ve all experienced in our lives, regardless of what time the clock is showing. With the help of an amazing band, Timothy Alice’s lyrics paint pictures of an America we can all recognize today. Whether he’s a in a league of his own or the product of a new generation of storyteller, he shows us all that we have a lot of great music and art coming our way in this next decade.

Key Tracks: 2 Am, Just Take My Hand, Honeypie

https://timothyalice.bandcamp.com/album/spacestation-am500

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