Tucker Zimmerman – Dance Of Love
★★★★
Released October 11th, 2024 on 4AD Records
Every now and then there comes a reminder that there is an entire universe of musical artists working long careers beneath the surface that you’ve never heard of. Take Tucker Zimmerman as an example. This is a man who released his first album, Ten Songs, in 1968. Bowie claimed it was one of his favourite albums at one point. Bowie’s exposure was likely due to Tony Visconti being the producer on it. Since then, Zimmerman has released thirteen records – some live, some comps. His original run as a recording artist ended in 1983, but he has continued to maintain a presence on the very edge of people’s awareness since.
He has suddenly become a household name again, though. That’s because the backing band on Dance Of Love is Big Thief, and a lot of these songs also feature folkie-of-the-moment Adrianne Lenker. The combo makes perfect sense from the very beginning of the record. Big Thief are a band that reach for quiet, contemplative moments as often as they create crunchy indie rock hooks, while Lenker’s solo work captures the essence of folk dreams.
The result is an album that feels warm and spontaneous, like a jam session among family. There was a blues album once where a bunch of London blues kids, including a young Eric Clapton *spits*, jammed out with Howlin’ Wolf. The old master was deeply skeptical of them. The opposite seems to be true of the meeting of Zimmerman and Big Thief. They genuinely seem to be having a good time together, and it shines through in the songs. “Old Folks of Farmersville” and “Lorelai” are the deep folk numbers. “Leave It On The Porch Outside” and “The Rama-lama-ding-dong Song” remind you that you can still have a good time kicking around some hokey tropes. The closer, “Nobody Knows,” is my highlight. It’s got that swinging old rock sound that Dylan used to do so well on songs like “On The Road Again” from Bringing It All Back Home.
The critical buzz and the 4AD release are assuredly a result of Big Thief’s involvement, but Zimmerman delivers the goods. It’s a sprightly folk rock record, considering the main man’s advanced age of 83. It might not be his last, but if it is, what a hell of a way to go out.
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