Tim Keegan
Foreign Domestic

Reading the name Tim Keegan, it's likely that many of you, especially those who have reached their "forties," will think of a certain (King) Kevin Keegan, a former English national soccer player and Ballon d'Or winner in 1978 and 1979. In reality, Tim Keegan, not very familiar even to the undersigned and the author of this debut on his own in June 2007, has actually been around for a few years.

A former part-time guitarist for Robyn Hitchcock and creator of a handful of albums, admittedly quite unknown, under the name Departure Lounge, he declares right from the dedication to Grant McLennan (50% of the Go-Betweens, who sadly passed away at just 48 years old) his musical sources and inspirations.

Recorded between Nashville, Paris, and London, the foundation of this album points to a kind of rather mellow folk without forgetting a slight tinge of country, all seasoned with a light melodic appeal. A sort of today's Harry Nilsson. A singer-songwriter with a guitar, as a friend of mine would jokingly say.

The single chosen as the lead track "On A Good Day" paired with "Sweet Sweet Smile" and even more so with "Where The Flowers Grow" evokes the serene calm with which certain Tennessee whiskey producers, cradled in their comfortable rocking chairs, wait for the distillery to dispense the precious malt. Calmly, without haste. The magical enchantment continues with "When Darkness Falls" where our artist delivers the sweet melancholy of a Springsteen in the mood for minimalism, all heart, guitar, and harmonica. Of a completely different impact is "You Make Me Sad," one of the most beautiful and intense tracks on the album, which manages to encapsulate in just three minutes the grand electro-folk rides we were used to by the now withdrawn Scott 4. The tribute to the versatile and great transatlantic chameleon Serge Gainsbourg couldn't be missed, where "La Vie Normale" seems like a post-orgasmic "Je t'aime... moi non plus."

The album's three souls, the three mother cities, merge fairly uniformly: the country-folk of Nashville, the rainy melancholy of Paris, and the melodic comfort of finally feeling at home in the shadow of Big Ben. Notable is the cameo of Sébastien Schuller on the final moog of "On A Good Day."

It's not an album that will change anyone's life, but surely these thirty-eight minutes will make it more enjoyable.