To emerge from a global pandemic with a renewed sense of situational awareness, hard won insight, and a new album is the kind of move we’ve come to expect from THRICE over the last twenty years. And think about what it means to be alive. Or maybe it’s just a reminder: call your parents, text your friends, hug your pets. Perhaps we’re feeling stronger, more prepared for something. But any sense of hopelessness or melancholy yields to a different feeling entirely, just as he intended. And while every song provides some clue to Showalter’s personal heaven, the jubilant “Jimi and Stan” says it all, wherein Hendrix and his beloved cat Stan are hanging out, going to shows, and looking at stars together.Īnd as our musical odyssey ends in the warm embrace of “Under Heaven,” the weight of everything Showalter has manifested-the beauty, and the sadness, and the immensity of it all-hits with tremendous impact. There’s also a discernible current running through In Heaven of homage to some notable losses in music-John Prine, Jeff Buckley, and Jimi Hendrix all play a part-for In Heaven is about moving beyond sadness or anger to a state of gratitude that we ever had these people to begin with.
Pairing smart, imaginative lyrics and striking arrangements, tracks like “Carbon” and its magnificent violin stand out, as does “Sister Saturn” with its funky, sinuous groove, and the sublime “Horses at Night,” which features one of Showalter’s most exquisite melodies to date. But there’s a duality present throughout In Heaven that is palpable, as felt on “Easter,” an exuberant pop anthem featuring jaunty guitar and ethereal vocals courtesy of Iha, that both celebrates Showalter’s new life and references his efforts to “stop the boat from sinking.” It’s a powerful sentiment echoed in slow burner “Hurry,” which showcases some exceptional shredding by Broemel, and beyond, as Showalter explores mortality and a heightened sense of his own existence, intensified by a world where he no longer uses alcohol to cope. The gorgeous opener “Galacticana” finds him telling us “I don’t want to drag you down,” a reassurance that his intentions lie in uplifting. The result is something extraordinary, as Showalter has crafted a poignant narrative that transcends his personal experiences and achieves a universality rooted not only in loss but joy, celebration, and newfound strength. “I wanted to strive for something greater than what I thought I was capable of.” With clean sounds, Jeff Lynne-esque acoustics, and sophisticated songwriting, he approached In Heaven in a more poised and pop-leaning way than his past releases. Showalter also played a lot of synth on this record, which he hasn’t done since 2014’s HEAL. Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket) is featured on guitar throughout the record, while James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins) contributed vocals and guitar for “Easter.” Bo Koster (MMJ, Roger Waters) provided keyboards, Cedric LeMoyne (Alanis Morrissette, Remy Zero) bass, Scott Moore violin, and Ratterman monstrous drums. In Heaven was recorded in October 2020 with Kevin Ratterman at Invisible Creature in Los Angeles. It was an irrational decision made at the height of a terrible time, but it’s one that shaped so much of what In Heaven is about. And within months, they decided to pack up and move across the country from Philadelphia to Austin, Texas. Showalter quit drinking so he could take better care of his wife and help rebuild the life they shared. Soon after, Stan, the cat they both adored, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In late 2018, Showalter’s wife, Sue, lost her mother in a car accident.
A stunning, hopeful reflection on love, loss, and enlightenment, In Heaven is a triumph in music making, and a preeminent addition to the Strand of Oaks discography. To say In Heaven is about conquering grief would be oversimplifying everything Tim Showalter has achieved on the eighth studio album from Strand of Oaks.
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