I knew during the first listen that the Timbre Project's Free Souvenirs would not cause me any aural injury. Free Souvenirs' deft melodic workmanship was able to pass my rigid domestic purification administration (or "housework" in common parlance) test. Does this CD have a languid but not overzealous opener ("Ho-Ho's Legacy") to inspire you out of your TV-facing La-Z-Boy and towards the cleaning supplies? Are there songs which enable you to pause for reflection by virtue of their poignancy and sing-a-long impact? Yes, the acoustic number "Plane Food Sucks," with lyrics like "It's tough when the ones who give you love, are the reason you don't want to stay", easily qualifies. Does the track sequence allow you to maintain cleaning momentum? Absolutely. The Foo Fighters-esque "Ship Wrecked" is perfect for tackling the toilet bowl with gusto, while the bass-heavy, spunky, infectious "Rock Garden" makes emptying a habitually reused vacuum bag a pleasure. Frontman Jaime D'Almeida (of Boston's Five Dollar Milkshake) sounds like a Trent Reznor who is still able to believe in the basic goodness of people. His melodies, which are similar to REM's earlier work or 10,000 Maniacs during some of their more ebullient moments, sweep the listener along, making it easy to overlook the album's acrid humor (and all the more delightful to discover it on later listens). The Timbre Project easily doubles as the cleaner's companion or the Sunday afternoon driver's delight.
-- Deirdre Devers
Five Dollar Milkshake frontman Jaime d'Almeida steps out with an absolutely delightful solo LP. Poignant and wry, confident and relaxed, Free Souvenirs compares favorably to such great American song writers as Mark Eitzel, Jonathan Richman, Jackson Browne and Randy Newman. Outstanding tracks include the melancholy "Stole All You Wear," the rocking "Ship Wrecked" and my personal fave, "Rock Garden," a bouncy, R&B-influenced portrait of a would-be rock star confronting his fears.
A gentle blend of acoustic tinged alt-rock, and whimsical songcraft, led by Jaime d'Almeida, frontman for fIVE dOLLAR mILKSHAKE. There's a homey feeling to this album, sometimes verging on the drowsy. "Stole All You Wear" has a nice pedal steel groove going for it. "Listens" is a well produced ballad. If you're patient with this album, you might find some subtle indie rewards inside. -Jim Esch
The Timbre Project plays an eclectic style of pop-rock. It's very unique, not exactly the type of stuff you're likely to hear on the radio. Very entertaining and creative...especially the artwork on the CD booklet. I liked "Plane Food Sucks" with its acoustic feel and intrinsic lyrics. All in all a fun album from a fun band. -Daina Kazmaier
Some impressive acoustic pop balladry on this CD, but it doesn't stop there... moves right on into some rawkin' backbeat-oriented heavier rock stuph! VERY high energy, lyrics that have a bite. Th' odd beats on "Junkie Disco Girl" will keep ya' guessin'! Comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those who dig on acoustic/electric folk/kowboy/rawk. -Rotcod Zzaj
These are smart, interesting tunes. The intelligence of this band shines forth even before the music begins as they decorate their CD cover with convention-defying witticisms. Then they give you bluesy, countryish ballads about the people in your neighborhood, and make you nod in agreement with the truth of their lyrics.
The first half of this album is pretty damn close to perfect pop. Clocking in at a Weezer-esque 32 minutes, Free Souvenirs is a solo project from Five Dollar Milkshake frontman Jaime d'Almeida. Quickly spanning 11 tracks, the album is a mix of experimentation and tradition, comedy and drama. -Adam McKibbin
Geoff Wilbur's Renegade Newsletter
The debut CD from this band brings a wide range of styles together and some really talented musicians. With earthy, almost grungy vocals and acoustic driven music, the songs hint at influences from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to Pearl Jam and Ben Folds Five. - Mike Farley
Taking a peek at the cover-art on Free Souvenirs, I honestly had no clue what I was in store for but I was pleasantly surprised as I was treated to a really good laid back album. Free Souvenirs is an album deep in blues and plenty of cool pop hooks and quirky themes. Overall, this disc will be for you if you like old school rock mixed in with a nice laid back feel. (Shoegazer) ****
A gentle blend of acoustic tinged alt-rock, and whimsical songcraft, led by Jaime d'Almeida, frontman for fIVE dOLLAR mILKSHAKE. "Stole All You Wear" has a nice pedal steel groove going for it. "Listens" is a well produced ballad. - Jim Esch
Alternative. Like a lot of alt rockers, they know how to play, but they resort to the subjects the Beatles and Who somehow missed. Good sense of humor that dominates the music and words. They just need to work on making a longer cd.
Nice organic (mostly acoustic-based) pop music. Fronted by Jaime d'Almeida, this band features very free flowing pop music accentuated by pedal steel guitar and other less conventional instrumentation. A thoroughly entertaining and well executed batch of tunes. (Rating: 4)
I was most impressed with Jaime D'almeida's solo project: The Timbre Project. Not only was the production quality of the CD exceptionally good but the lyrics were catchy and the music was quite innovative as well. Overall_rating: * * * * Lyrics: * * * * * Music: * * * Best_song: Stole All Your Wear