Eli Tidmore – “Jean” / “After Hours”

Eli Tidmore – “Jean” / “After Hours” – Singles Review

Man…I tell ya…sometimes you click on something and you’re instantly wowed.  I didn’t know the name of Eli Tidmore before I pushed play on the song “Jean” from his album Chameleon, but I’ll certainly remember it now.  Call it a combination of awesomeness that created my positive first impression – it was both the technique in the musicianship, but also the clarity achieved in the production provided by Evan Lick.  “Jean” is the kind of single that signifies the kind of professional quality and dedication you wanna find out there in this independent scene we share…and to be truthful with ya, I’m a little bit amazed that this is the first time I’ve heard of Tidmore based on how strong this slice of his music is.  I try to give myself a little bit of grace with all that…if there’s anything I’ve learned over my twenty-five plus-years in music journalism, it’s that we can’t hear it all, you know what I mean?  I’ve done my due diligence to highlight what I can out there in the independent scene with reviews on thousands of bands and artists, in addition to the work I’ve done with countless others – and I STILL feel like I’m just barely scratching the surface.  So take it to heart y’all…you can be as great as an artist like Eli Tidmore and it can still take a heck of a lot of time before everybody out there across the map knows your name.  According to what I’ve seen online, Eli’s Chameleon album originally came out back in 2017…and here we are eight years later and I’m just learning about the guy now.  You know what I always say though folks…if I haven’t heard something, then it’s still new music to me, and if the whole world hasn’t heard your music yet, then there’s still more opportunities for you to help get it to the people’s listening ears.

“Jean” is a solid tune, no doubt about that.  I absolutely LOVE the sound of the guitar as it begins…it’s very much in that gentle & mellow vein of intricate & innovative melodies you’d find in something like the music of Mimicking Birds, so believe me when I tell ya, that immediately got my full attention.  As far as the rest to follow is concerned, I didn’t hear any glaring issues whatsoever…and I felt like Eli displayed some serious songwriting smarts in how this whole structure plays out & how he uses its dynamics to his advantage.  Like…listen to how he uses the stop/start of this melodic pattern to make this song work…or pivotal points like around the 1:25 mark, where right after he’s let “Jean” drift out, he springs back into action with magnificently impressive results.  These are the kinds of moves that matter…or even using the slight stutter pattern with his vocals at certain points to add a bit of stylistic flair and catchiness as he stays in perfect time with the metering of his melody & music.  The point is, you listen to “Jean” and you know this dude’s got an exceptional level of natural talent and a genuine gift for the art of making music.  As to whether or not “Jean” is entirely memorable as a single…I might be a little bit less convinced of that in the traditional sense of the definition we typically run into, but it’s a great song regardless of that.  I’ll put it to you this way – if “Jean” was a solid representation of Eli’s music, I knew right away that I’d want to listen to MORE from Tidmore.  It’s a little hard to pin down how active he has or hasn’t been as of late…I can find a handful of singles released to Spotify in 2020, and a ‘lost album’ called after hours that was released last year but originally recorded in 2019.  Sometimes folks need a little support and confirmation that making music is what they’re meant to be doing with their life, and if that’s the case when it comes to artist Eli Tidmore, consider me happy to supply him with exactly that.

Speaking of!  “After Hours” is the other track that was slid my way, and it’s another decent tune from Eli’s past catalog…the title-track from his ‘lost album’ back in 2019.  Production-wise, and even on a stylistic level…we’re probably talking a little bit about apples and oranges to a fair degree if I’m making comparisons to “Jean” – but arguably, I’d likely tell ya what he’s got on “After Hours” is the more relevant of the two tracks when it comes to what the masses are listening to.  The beat keeps this cut a lot more low-end heavy and it feels tightly compressed as a result…the surrounding elements in the music aren’t really affected in the same way, but the heaviness of the beat kinda becomes the dominant trait a bit more than was likely intended.  That being said, I still feel like people would probably respond more enthusiastically to something like “After Hours” when it comes right down to it.  It’s more upbeat, catchy…that kind of thing…whereas “Jean” sounds a bit more carefully crafted & artistic, in my opinion.  I’m happy to listen to both, don’t get me wrong…they’re both good tunes, but I would likely say that “Jean” sounds a bit more like what Eli would write when left to his own devices & highlights his natural talent more clearly, whereas “After Hours” gets a lot closer to feel like he’s switchin’ up his style to suit what the masses are seeking out.  Still, you can’t deny the jazzy catchiness of this Pop sound at work, and there’s no doubt about the fact that Eli’s professionalism as an artist still delivers the goods.  “After Hours” is the kind of cut that people love to hear on a daily basis, whereas something like “Jean” might appeal to more specific moods, you know what I mean?  “After Hours” has got a swagger and vibe to it that listeners regularly seek out…I suppose that’s what I’m saying.  I’m not claiming it’s the better of the two songs, but there is more accessibility in “After Hours” when it comes to its fundamentals and DNA.  I’m probably more partial to “Jean,” but I don’t think I’d expect everyone out there to feel the same as I do when comparing these two cuts side by side.  I do think a bit more of that sensational clarity in the production that Evan brought to “Jean” would go a hell of a long way to freshen up the sound of “After Hours,” but overall, I’m not complaining…I’d still listen to both tracks, and I will, in addition to more from Eli Tidmore.  At what appears to be about five years removed from the last track he put out online, it’s time to get this dude back in action where he belongs…Tidmore’s got real talent & a universal vibe that’s got tremendous appeal and confirms that making music is what he is truly meant to be doing with his life.

Find out more about Eli Tidmore from his official page at Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EliTidmoreMusic

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