Timothy Fehling, who previously recorded under the moniker Swee Tooth, brings us another concept album. 9 Short Stories is a collection of 9 short tracks (11 min, 27 sec) that are diverse and memorable.

Like Fehling's previous release, Swee Tooth II, 9 Short Stories pretty much covers all bases. I found it remarkable that in under 12 minutes we are treated to such an eclectic series of pieces. It's not just the themes that are diverse, but the approach to each track is something to be appreciated. Fehling has thought long and hard about the best way to present each piece so that they stand as though they have their own identity separate from the others. While the piano/keyboards take centre stage on every track, the accompaniment differs on all of them.

The album opens with 'Hypnagogia', a beautiful piece that out of the blue switches to become sinister and eerie; 'Lure' draws us in with haunting vocals, bringing to mind any one of a thousand horror/suspense scores; 'Charlie' is a bizarre, but annoyingly catchy, percussion based track that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face; 'Defender' is a dramatic build to what feels like a heroes battle; 'Drum' is a catchy drum (surprise, surprise) based piece; 'Supernova' brings in brass and vocals to add an other worldly feel (not a million miles away from David Arnold's work on Independence Day (1996)); 'Play', could so easily be the music from a lost level of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog console game; 'Champion' is a feel good piece that reminded my of Thomas Newman's work on films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994); while '30' is a strong piano piece that brings forth plenty of emotion.

It's a strong showpiece that perfectly illustrates Fehling's masterful compositions.

9

Darren Rea