Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The outlook from where you sit can be the one that not only determines your mood but has the ability to shape you as a human being, the position you take into any fight, conversation or relationship and yet to say that The View From Here is the only one that is available is not trust the artist to show you another level, another position in which your stance can be changed.

Tim Bennett’s new album The View From Here is one that has the power to change a mind, let alone sound as if it was written and performed with the single aim of being so attention grabbing that it could offer points of interest that include the tallest New York skyscraper, the skyline over the Appalachian Mountains and the heat and fun bounding off any Californian beach whilst all the time placing each foot in the warmth of the seas off the Gulf of Mexico; an all round perspective with a view that never gets tiring.

Tim Bennett’s third album is firmly based in Americana, even if, as the musician explains, that he was unfamiliar with the concept, yet for someone who has taken the route unchallenged, he has produced a set of songs of such intrigue, such dynamic response to subjects such as unemployment, heartache and the sense of finality that comes to us all. It is in this response that Mr. Bennett hits such a high note of expression and candour that it cannot be helped but be admired.

In songs such As Long As You’re Buying, There Was Nothing I Could Do, A Dangerous Man, Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You and Ain’t Got Time For This, the thoughtfulness of the man’s soul shines through and with the sincerity of a man who has taken in the view from every position possible.

With excellent complimentary musicianship by Hal Ratliff, Rick White, Ernie Nunez, Roger Gillespie and Matt Brislawn, The View From Here is the outlook that comes with patience and harmony with life, you might regret never seeing the top of the mountain but to take pleasure in each small step you take on the way is to be considered a victory.

Ian D. Hall