Strand Of Oaks : Miracle Focus

Timothy Showalter has been kicking around as Strand of Oaks since his 2009 debut Leave Ruin. Starting out with a folksy, singer/songwriter vibe he shifted focus into more synth and pop touches on the project’s breakthrough record Pope Killdragon. His Neil Young affectations were replaced by Tangerine Dream and Kate Bush as influences on his sound. His lyrics became more story-driven and steeped in fantasy as well.

But with 2014s Heal, his first release with label Dead Oceans, Showalter saw success with a bigger, pop rock aesthetic and with it came TV appearances and opening spots for Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell, and Iron and Wine. His songs dealt with sobriety and a need to connect and were very heart-on-sleeve.

The latest from Strand Of Oaks, Miracle Focus(Western Vinyl), Showalter wanted to make a fun, freeing record. Influenced by everything from Alice Coltrane to Ram Dass to yoga and Freddie Mercury, Timothy Showalter wanted to make an album steeped in a free-spiritedness and mindful contemplation. It’s a joyful record, yet one that feels oddly stunted and stuck in low gear for its runtime.

“More You” opens the record on an operatic note. Lush synth strings give Showalter a foundation to sing in an almost Freddie Mercury feel. A step away from the Pope Killdragon and Heal days. “Anada” has a hip hop beat with a mostly minor key vibe. Even a song called “Party at Monster Lake” lingers in slow motion and dour acoustic drumming. This is a pretty bummer party at Monster Lake.

The album as a whole stays in a second gear and never really pushes anything into the red. “Switched On” has Showalter sounding like a robot singing over processed drums in all melodramatic undertones, while “Navigator” is all synth pop banging. “Ascend You” is a straight up techno club track. If that’s what you’re looking for from Strand Of Oaks then you’ve found your summer jam right here.

Miracle Focus might have been inspired by TM, free jazz, and Showalter’s newfound love for painting, but for the most part this record sounds like a guitar guy having fun with hip hop beats and electronics. Unfortunately it’s a middling record at best, especially when you take into a account Strand of Oaks’ first four and amazing albums. Timothy Showalter is still a great songwriter, but this lacks urgency and staying power.