Timothy Pure - Island of the Misfit Toys



1. A Damp Preserve (2:33) 2. The Fly Man and the Snake (5:21) 3. Finders Keepers (6:19) 4. Hush (4:22) 5. The Engine Roars (2:06) 6. Tribes (5:50) 7. Playground Politics (6:33) 8. Mia's Game (3:33) 9. Misha Superhero (8:32) 10. Island of the Misfit Toys (7:01) 11. Behind the Front (5:52) 12. Channels (3:17) 13. Safe (4:29) 14. Soil (2:38)

Total Running Time: 68:26



Something that will strike many newcomers to the prog scene as curious is the fact that Pink Floyd is considered to be one of the genre's main and most influential exponents, yet the bands that have followed or imitated the British legend's style are rather limited in comparison with those that have mimicked Yes or Genesis, for example. Perhaps it's just that musicians interested in "traditional" progressive rock want to show off their technical skills instead of concentrating on the more laid-back approach, but for fans of acts such as the aforementioned Floyd, it has meant a lack of other similar bands to interest themselves in.

That's where Timothy Pure comes in. With a lush songwriting approach and a conceptual and highly symbolic perspective on lyrics, the band excels in building up structures of emotional richness that allow for an uninterrupted storyline immersed in drama and sharp social analysis. Particularly helpful in this are Matthew Still's David Gilmour-like vocals and evocative keyboards, as well as Chris Wallace's sharp drumming, which conform the largest part of Island of the Misfit Toys and interplay with the more occasional-yet-timely parts of bassist André Neitzel and guitarist Chris Wallace.

What results truly interesting about this album, however, is Neitzel's lyrics, which concentrate on an abused child and the struggles he goes through in his mind before finally confronting his father and thus redeeming all the victims of similar situations. Well, at least that's what I understood, because the storyline behind Island of the Misfit Toys is rather vague and highly symbolic, allowing for diverse interpretations and yet avoiding excessive abstraction. And especially appealing to mine was the extrapolation of societal divisions and individual defense mechanisms within the adult world that young Enoch conjures in his dreams of the misfit toys, or abused children ("Tribes" and "Playground Politics"), as well as the inherent cruelty in children and human beings in general ("Island of the Misfit Toys") that makes the young boy finally stand up to his abusive father.

Fortunately enough, the band was also able to create the appropriate music for Neitzel's imaginative output and surround it with the appropriate musical textures. Not so fortunate, however, is the fact that the music, despite its unquestionable quality and the incredibly touching heights that it reaches on "Playground Politics," results a bit too placid at times. Timothy Pure's second album, however, is one that should appeal to fans of the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd, relying upon emotional songwriting and atmospheres with an intelligent lyrical approach from which interesting perspectives of the world, loss of innocence, and society in general, can be recollected.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

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