Tim Nave is an experimental folk artist from Carter County, Tennessee. He goes by TAKAT, or The Artist Known As Tim. Bitter As Hell is a series of short albums that are inspired by his life and the area of Appalachia where he was raised. In preparation for his upcoming release in August of 2023, Watering Dead Plants, Nicole Morris reviewed his previous two part EP.
“Boomerang”
Thank GOD, I wanted some banjo.
“Life’s Not Fair But I Love You”
The short bursts of harmonies in the verses of this are really interesting and not overcrowding. The composition of this piece keeps you intrigued, not knowing where the song may take you next. There’s an ebb and flow of the instruments that seems familiar, but not overdone. It’s a blast to listen to and discover some new gem with every play.
“Praying For Rain”
The first EP ends with a solid banger that has some serious sing-a-long qualities. It’s relatable and a jam that fans will want to scream along with it. The guitar part is simple enough that it compliments how powerful the vocals are without becoming overly flashy. The song is quick and to the point and gets the listener excited for the next part of this musical journey.
“Bitter As Hell”
In the beginning, I was getting solid Pure Prairie League vibes. Seeing as it is a sunny day, I was excited to see where this would take me. The vocals came and took me right off of the Yacht (rock) that I thought that I was on. Smokey and folky, but almost with a 90s pop rock flair (Sister Hazel, maybe?). I like the lack of an intense rhyme scheme, since that could make this style of folk cheesy. The chorus comes in and now its a contender for staying stuck in my head. I was really hoping for the dynamics to change with vocal harmonies, and TAKAT knew exactly what to feed me. The bridge pumps in with a delicious doo-wop lyric pattern and a serious guitar solo to compliment it. The final chorus hits me twice with that catchy “all alone and bitter as hell” and the perfect guitar lick.
“Southern By the Grace”
Musically, “Southern By the Grace” reminded me of a Jonathan Edwards song when it begins; less pop, more bluegrass. Longest Road. That’s it. Lyrically, the vibe took me to a summer time country bop, since I was being instructed as to what I would expect and what I would be drinking. However, the song wasn’t as predictable as I was imagining. It is nostalgic and somber, and beautifully sung.
“In the Pieces”
This track has the vocal crack that I crave in music. It’s emotional and raw. I like music that is unpolished so that the listener can really relate to what the artist is trying to portray. It’s a gorgeous ballad; and an excellent encore to the EP.
TAKAT released the third installment of Bitter As Hell in August of 2023. Check back soon for a full review of this EP!
Nicole is a lover of music, movies, and margaritas. Aside from writing for PA and Find out, she also plays in Curse Words, Collider, and Accidents. You can probably find her playing guitar in a punk act at some shitty bar in DC or taking 1000 photos of her cats.