Tucker Zimmerman – Dance of Love (2024)

Review: 4AD is proud to welcome Belgium-based American singer-songwriter Tucker Zimmerman with his label debut and eleventh studio album, Dance of Love, a collaboration with labelmates Big Thief, who produced and performed on the record. “It was an extreme honor to make a record with one of the greatest songwriters of all time,” says Big Thief. “We believe in this music with all of our hearts, and we hope it brings you joy.” The lead track, “Burial At Sea,” tells the story of a resurfaced message in a bottle from a sea captain of old, echoing Zimmerman’s musical journey—words written long ago that continue to resonate, transcending time and place. Spanning over half a century, Zimmerman’s discography is a sonic memoir. His vast collection of records explores folk, 12-bar blues, full-band rock concertos, and classical piano compositions, all serving as a tribute to the people, experiences, and sounds that have shaped his life. His songbook is deeply personal and resonates with authenticity. “After years of writing and filling a box with over 500 song sheets, I had finally found my path, my originality, my voice. It had become clear to me that only songs with a positive message and peaceful vibration were worth spending time on... Just poetry. Little hums that might lift us all above our daily worries and fears, little hums that try to make the world a better place.” - Tucker Zimmerman. Despite flying under the radar throughout much of his storied career, the 83-year-old Californian has received admiration from contemporaries like Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, who calls him “one of the greatest songwriters of all time,” and from legends like David Bowie, who described him as “too qualified for folk.” Inspired by Lenker’s deep appreciation for his work, Zimmerman was brought to the U.S. to record the album, with Big Thief (along with collaborators Mat Davidson and Zach Burba) serving as his backing band. On several tracks, Lenker’s vocals harmonize with Zimmerman’s, creating a soothing blend, while Zimmerman’s wife, Marie-Claire, whose image graces the album cover, joined the chorus line. With Dance of Love, listeners will discover a multi-faceted and heartfelt record from a songwriter whose life has been rich with meaningful friendships, valuable lessons, worldly experiences, and most of all, love. — 12-bar

Track List: 01. Old Folks of Farmersville 02. The Idiot's Maze 03. Lorelei 04. The Season 05. Burial At Sea 06. They Don't Say (But It's True) 07. Leave It On The Porch Outside 08. The Ram-a-lama-ding-dong Song 09. Don't Go Crazy (Go In Peace) 10. Nobody Knows

Media Report: Genre: folk-rock Origin: Belgium
Format: FLAC Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec Bit rate mode: Variable Channel(s): 2 channels Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz Bit depth: 16 bits Compression mode: Lossless Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)

Note 1: If you like the music, support the artist Note 2: Track nº 7 is not perfect, it has an abrupt cut in the end