Tim Mahoney - Stay Leave (2008)

By the sound of it, Tim Mahoney, who has spent the better part of a decade cultivating his sound, hasn't wasted his time. Stay/Leave is pure radio-ready pop-rock of the highest order - it's the sort of record that should propel Mahoney and his backing ensemble through to the proverbial "big time."

If anything, the record may be a bit too good in its construction, and at times can be a bit sanitary, even when Mahoney is exploring the back end of a relationship ("Taste Her") - was the relationship ever real, or is he just that experienced at how to put a track together? It can fall slightly flat, though Mahoney is real enough to get, and explain is raw detail, what the music industry is really all about ("Big Hit Song") and how he's been grist for the mill himself plenty of times. It's his ability to, in his deepest moments, convey his personal experiences and detail where he's at and where it is all headed that makes Stay/Leave have the potential to last.

Mahoney and his mates allow for little wasted motion, and the result is a record that should have a lasting effect, if he can get anyone to listen...though it is clear that he knows what he's up against. Also recommended: "Simple Life" & "Pieces of You."

Track List:

01 - Sticks And Stones
02 - Piece Of You
03 - Theme Song
04 - Just A Girl
05 - Guys Like Me
06 - Stay
07 - Leave
08 - Taste Her
09 - Don't Let Me Down
10 - More Than A Moment
11 - Simple Life
12 - Big Hit Song
13 - War Was Won

Download includes artwork