Sally Timms: In The World Of Him : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Chicago chanteuse Sally Timms, known for her alt-country stylings with the Mekons and on solo records like Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos, sounds more like Laurie Anderson this time around than Loretta Lynn. Indeed, In the World of Him finds the British-born Timms and friends embellishing these fable-like songs, nearly all written by men and sung from their perspective, not with steel guitar but with moog and sampler, though elements of folk still abound. These explorations of the male psyche are empathetic not accusatory, and like a lot of Timms' work, straddle the line between absurd and harrowing, particularly the songs of war. "Corporate Chalkie" is like a nonsensical limerick, while "139 Hermansler Gurtel" is delicious camp in the vein of Momus. In "Little Tommy Tucker," Timms mourns "those hands you'll never know," her rich voice peaked and fragile, beautiful but cautionary. It's the perfect closer to this album that explores not only the world of males, but the world at large.