Let me tell you a little known fact, a fact that could just save your life. People who have and proudly display a middle name are often serial killers; check out John Wayne Gacy if you don’t believe me. People who have three names, all of which are first names, are definitely 100% guaranteed serial killers, unless their predestined career is changed by them also being superb songwriters. So the innocent victims of the world should breathe a collected sigh of relief that Tim David Kelly is one of the later, and when they have finished with that breath they should go and buy his excellent little album ‘Growing up Naked’.
In a previous incarnation Tim was lead singer and guitarist for ‘Kicking Harold’ who released two albums under the wing of industry giant MCA. Some decent college success and much touring later they discovered that industry giants aren’t renowned for their intelligence or patience, and the band was unceremoniously kicked to the curb. A year or so later a now solo Tim released ‘Growing up Naked’ on his own Fuzztone label. No more dealing with clueless record executives, keep all the money and get reviewed by cyberspaces best little secret Indie Monkey, it was a no lose situation.
Tim David Kelly spent almost an entire year writing and recording this album, and it shows, the quality of songwriting and production is superb. He also recorded just about everything on this album with the exception of the drums. In other words this is a solo album in the purest sense, it is a labor of love, a product of one very talented man.
The music is a mixture, a kind of grown up matured grunge, the tone moves from gentle to aggressive, but the vocals of Tim are always center stage, and unlike so many songwriter/singers out there he has no problem keeping the mix clean, you can actually hear the lyrics, wow what an original concept. The lyrics are well worth hearing by the way, small slice of life tales with a heavy sense of irony, with titles like ‘The Laundry Song’ and ‘Milk’, you know that this is an album that will make you smile.
He also writes rock-pop that is very radio friendly, there are at least six tracks on this twelve track album that are catchy enough to get major radio play, of course they won’t, but they could and should.
The album opens with ‘That Laundry Song’, a simple melding of crunching guitar over lyrics chronicling the horrors of dealing with the weekly wash, "The jeans are always fading. I’m losing ground. The rivets burn my fingers." All this with a great sing-along chorus. Track two is the more serious 'Nothing’s going right' a tale of messed up love (is there any other type) which showcases the excellent guitar work of Mr. Kelly as the rhythm and lead do interesting dances around each other.
Track three is possibly the most obvious break out song, the kind of tune that could get him major radio and MTV attention. '1000 Miles from Lonely' starts with acoustic guitar and crystal clear vocals before the drums kick in. It is the kind of song Shawn Mullins wishes he could write. Tim David Kelly writes lyrics that tell tales of real life with panache and realism, tales that ring true without seeming forced. "The store outside of my window sells wines of the world and grab bags of fried pork rinds. I buy you the paper so you can struggle with phrases in crossword lines."
I could go on but instead I will just tell you to follow the link below to CD Baby and give the music a listen. Tim David Kelly’s debut as a solo artist isn’t a perfect album, but it is damn close to being one. So give it a listen and be thankful he gave that whole killing thing a miss.

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