Tamar Berk is probably my favourite discovery on here. I don't meant that her discovery was down to me, I leave that for others to claim, although I suspect it is all totally down to her and since the debut album, it certainly is. I've covered all four albums to this point and I'm here with the 5th. I've been so bursting to tell you about it that I put the album in the current revived Here Is The News feature. I can't think of many artists whose complete solo career I have covered. I've also gone slightly early on Friday's upcoming Release Date.
She arrived at a strange time here in 2021. I got a fair bit of stick for an interview where I admitted that IDHAS was a male dominated affair artist wise. It wasn't in anyway misogynyst, we had covered a lot of female artists, both solo and in groups. I was just reflecting that although we go down many avenues, we will always reflect our audience. We want artists to have doors opened. I've made efforts to prove people wrong since, but I will always cover what I like, be it male, female, alien, but never AI. Tamar's album arrived and I thought, here you go, put that pipe and smoke it. If an album by a male had the arrived with the same quality, I'd have also covered that.
In she came with a sassy rock attitude, all Indie, but self effacing and reflective and I was hooked. She was able to look at herself and tell you why she was like she is and how her anxiety affected her songs. She hasn't really changed that in anyway. It is just that album by album there have been marked changes in direction.These have not been intentional changes, Berk has just followed her muse, making albums that please her and seeing a growing following that have just got what she does. Here at album five, she has earned the right to do this more and more, both subtle and larger changed have taken place and all of them have worked.
She can be whatever you want, genre wise, but her music is about what she wants with a hope that you will follow the path. Rocking out or delivering something breathy is just as easy. Indie, Pop, Americana, whatever you name, she can do, but she does it her way. ocd is a stellar album, it is darker, even more reflective than previous, but it is never miserable or angsty. Berk bares her soul, but only because she wants you to listen to what she thinks, nobody is gonna stick her in any corner. The album is more laidback, mellower even, fragile at times. It still has those breakout moments, but they are not as often as before. This is singer songwriter excellence, melodically wonderful, but much more restrained.
Even the Pop Rock, slightly Disco feel of the title track is about her old condition, But just listen to the magnificent Guitar Pop of I Had A Dream I was Lost In An Auditorium. It is graced by an extraordinary arrangement. Indiesleaze 2005 has a killer chorus, chirpy, but the subject is about the danger of having time on your hands. You Ruined This City For Me is more similar to what has gone before on previous albums, corking Indie Rock with attitude. But it is the slower songs that grip you most. The Piano Pop and mood of My Turn Will Come and the Acoustic led breathiness of Ghost Stories that bursts into a Guitar crescendo are wonderful.
I've gone on for a bit too long, but would like to leave you with my thoughts on two more songs. I'm In The Day After is classic Tamar Berk, Indie Rock that grabs a hold of you. There Are Benefits To Mixed Emotions is much more brooding and reflective. Moody and magnificent with a breakout chorus that makes you realise that everything will be alright. ocd is the sound of an artist at the top of their game. Come and join the follower, although these days you may find it a little crowded. This album is totally spellbinding.
You can listen to and buy and listen to the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.
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