7

It's all the same.

Kate Walsh reputedly does not own an iPod or watch television since she feels these would distract her from her creative work. Distractions they may be, but perhaps this album would have benefited from a little outside influence and inspiration from beyond Kate herself. That isn't to say 'Tim's House' is devoid of merit, just lacking in variation of sound and theme.

Opener 'Your Song' passes by in a quiet rush of sugar-sweet vocals and plucked strings, giving way to the catchier (although very similar in style and pace) 'Talk Of The Town' which will have you singing along within a few listens. Unfortunately 'Is This It?' and 'Don't Break My Heart' are musically speaking, terribly dull, and although some feisty lyrics lurk under their surface it is difficult to focus upon Ms. Walsh's words as her music lulls one to sleep.

'Betty' stands out purely because of its over-enthusiastic strings component – in every other way it is the same as all the tracks here. We enter the second half of the album with 'Bury My Head', by which point it's hard to hold one's head upright, lulled as we are by this point into a into a semi-comatose state by Kate's little-girl voice. In 'French Song' a faster beat is brought to the fore that adds a little individuality to the track, but it's still hard to imagine anyone getting excited about it. 'Tonight' and 'Goldfish' seamlessly merge together into one mediocre one, but closing piece 'Fireworks' features a slightly catchy chorus and thus ends the album slightly more memorably than one may have expected from the previous nine tracks.

'Tim's House' is not an unpleasant listen, just a somewhat uninspired one. All ten songs have the same quiet, unassuming, lo-fi sound that centre on breathy vocals backed up by plucked guitars. If that's a sound you like, then 'Tims' House' won't disappoint. There's nothing here that hasn't been done before, however, and unless Kate Walsh veers away from her tried and tested, safe and acoustic path she is unlikely to generate much excitement, even among the often understated genre world of singer-songwriters.