Strand of Oaks, The Lexington, gig review: Timothy Showalter sings with painful honesty

At times his songs about his past border on nostalgic obsession

Timothy Showalter from Strand of Oaks (Dusdin Condren)

‘Goshen ’97’, named after Timothy Showalter’s hometown in Indiana, is filled with intricate details of being a kid trying to write music for the first time.

Those euphoric choruses are deceptive: Showalter is almost painfully honest, singing about his past with a nostalgia that borders on obsession.

This is the mood that runs throughout his performance as Strand of Oaks at The Lexington. ‘JM’ – Showalter’s tribute to Jason Molina – lifts into a devastating riff that conveys all of his own regret in its stark notes.

Although Showalter’s music is rooted in folk-rock, synth-heavy tracks like ‘Same Emotions’ suggest that his 2014 LP HEAL is an attempt to recreate the sounds of his youth as a musical memoir: with hints of pre-grunge and occasional shredding thrown in for good measure.

He opens up to his audience – made up almost entirely of men – as he recounts details of his childhood, his wife’s affair, and his struggles with himself in a John Grant-esque confessional.

As the encore draws to a finish, Showalter throws himself off-stage and into the arms of the first men who catch him, tumbling through the crowd. ‘Thank you so much,’ he says to each one. ‘Thank you.’