Jimmy Diamond - You Radiate

Jimmy Diamond - You Radiate Release: 10.03.2023 Label: Excelsior-Recordings Produced by: Kevin Ratterman & Jim Zwinselman Recorded Los Angeles - Invisible Creature Studios.   Jimmy Diamond’s sweeping blend of roots rock and americana enshrines fleeting moments like a grand ritual fire. It comes with the territory for Jim Zwinselman, Ruud Gielen and Floris Poessé. €26.99 Aanbiedingsprijs Inclusief belasting. Jimmy Diamond - You Radiate

Their base of operation isn’t some frenzied metropolis like Amsterdam. The Dutch trio hang their coats and hats amidst the regional beauty of Lemele, Overijssel, where the quietude spells out the gravity of one’s surroundings. The symphony of frogs and crickets at night, the hiss of rustling plantlife in the breeze, the soft rumble of distant tractor engines: in places like this, everything you absorb naturally amplifies tenfold.

Contrary to Jimmy Diamond’s grounded habitat, their genesis is, quite frankly, the stuff of fairy tales. Through their mutual tour manager, the band were handpicked to become Strand Of Oaks’ European touring band. In main songwriter Timothy Showalter, they immediately found a spiritual kin, a mentor and a biggest fan. It was in fact Showalter who unknowingly coined the group’s name during a tour stop at the Montenegro bayside, assigning Zwinselman “a Montenegro name”. “Jimmy Diamond” had a nice ring to it… enough for it to stick around.

When the world suddenly stood still, Jimmy Diamond, a band already accustomed to the vacuum of stillness, wasn’t so easily deterred. The three musicians hired a camping van and embarked on a road trip across Europe, mining experiences along the way as fuel for a fresh inspiration; laughing like children, howling like wolves, sleeping like dogs. 

Similarly, You Radiate unfolded like a candid roadmap of nights spent in deserted parking lots, chasing endless horizons on blackened hinterlands and engaging in curt small talk with locals in thrift shops. Jimmy Diamond’s songs summon a humbling reverence for instances many would deem superfluous. It’s evident in the trio’s undeniable chemistry built over time. It allows Jimmy Diamond to sound much bigger than your average quote unquote power trio. Gielen’s canyoning drum salvo’s do more than simply hold down a pulse; they unravel and burrow vast aural landscapes. Poessé’s bass swerves from mediating motorik hum to a melodic balm for Zwinselman’s molten lava-like guitar torrents.

Furthermore, on You Radiate, Zwinselman has unlocked his voice as the band’s chief songwriter, never letting the album's more despair-laden moments stifle the music’s giddy spirit. Lead single “So Do I” is your quintessential nightdrivin’ anthem, marveling at how the little things in life hold intrinsic worth, and how the night becomes a silent companion to meditate on life’s virgin impressions. As Zwinselman’s voice glimmers in frank gratitude, Jimmy Diamond’s music towers in cosmic bliss. “In The Dark” offers reprieve for the introvert who safekeeps vulnerabilities from prying eyes.”The bottom line of the song is that you can show insecurities because no one sees them anyway, so you don't have to be afraid of them,” Zwinselman comments.

The lush, alt-country sparkle of “No Man’s Land” weighs the urge to escape with the need for connection. “Sometimes, you would like to break away from all of society, and move on a bit somewhere on the moor. That everything you love - friends, family, your passion, your lovers... That's ultimately what makes you stay. But sometimes that feeling creeps up that you would like to escape from everything.”

On You Radiate sentiments like redemption, awe and gratitude burst through the gates like your Good Samaritan, snatching the listener from the jaws of defeat. The lovesick title track basks in the wooze of witnessing your better half thrive. The break-of-dawn glimmer of “Let’s Not Get Used To This”, meanwhile, narrates the gut punch of suddenly feeling the absence from long-standing companionship. The climactic “I’m Still Here (In All The Things You See)” pries open the silver linings behind mourning a loved one. “That one is about my grandfather, who passed away the summer before the band traveled to the States. Purely of natural causes, which is of course a sad moment. But what brought me comfort was the fact that he was such a nature person. Before he died, he would still stick around and continue in existing nature. I believe in that a little bit myself. That you are not just gone, but that you stay around and become part of the greenery and the water and the wind.”

Jimmy Diamond’s journey across the US dovetailed in an eventful two-week recording stint at Kevin Ratterman’s Invisible Creature studio in Los Angeles. It was a dream come true, since Ratterman produced many of the members’ favorite records – for example Jim James’s Uniform Distortion and Madrugada’s Chimes of Midnight. With Ratterman acting as the de facto fourth member– filling the melodic space with synth and piano textures – many of that week’s day-to-day affairs freewheeled their way into the recordings. For example, the open-hearted bluster of Queen’s underrated swan song Made In Heaven was often played during ad hoc car rides and errand runs. Though they were not consciously influenced by it, Jimmy Diamond were similarly intent on stretching those brief glints of joy into blissful eternities.

“As stormy weather comes around/It was made in heaven,” one famous song on the aforementioned record proclaimed. It’s hard to fathom a better description for Jimmy Diamond’s spirited debut LP; the power of never taking things for granted never gleamed brighter than in these ten songs.

COPYRIGHT - TomRoelofs

Jimmy Diamond -  You Radiate

So Do I

So Do I is about having too much things going on in your head, and not knowing what you really feel at the same time. Days pass without noticing, like you’re numb, they feel dark and hazy. And those days aren’t going to help you to ease your mind. The only remedy; focus on the things that are important, live by the day and get some sunrays, like everyone should. And So Do I.

No Man’s Land

No Man's Land, a place where nothing and nobody will bother you. Imagine this place in the middle of nowhere, you can only hear birds and the wind blowing through the leaves and the trees. Sometimes all you want to do is to escape to this magical place, make a campfire and look at the stars. And I will tell you, try it. Some things in life can be overwhelming and if you want to ease your mind a bit; find your way to No Man's Land.

Two Way Street

The way you look at situations or people doesn’t have to be the same as someone else’s. You can be euphoric about something, but the one next to you can feel very different about it. You can feel a certain way about someone because you're hurt, but you can't expect the other to feel the same about this situation. Let them find it out themselves. Because every story has another side, it's always a Two-Way Street.

Let’s Not Get Used To This

My grandparents have been together for almost their whole life. And still, they love each other like the early days. They lived and worked on a farm their whole life. A while ago, my grandma had to stay in the hospital for a couple of nights. It was one of the first nights grandpa was home alone. This was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. A bittersweet feeling. Grandpa said: ‘’Please, let's not get used to this.’’

Chase The Moon

If you suddenly can't do what you want to do most, you can only feel sad thinking about what you really miss. Being on the road, driving to places you’ve never been, play music for people you’ve never met. That indescribable connection is what I really missed in the days we were not able to pursue our dreams. Then you really realize what you've been missing for a long time. I wrote this with our friend Etjen in mind. Him sitting behind the wheel, doing what he does best: taking care of everything and everyone, and guiding us to the right places, chasing the moon.

In The Dark

There's nothing wrong with staying in your comfort zone and doing the things you always did. But I think the goal in life should be to learn and make yourself a better person. To achieve that, you can't hide yourself from the unknown. You got to stand up tall to be confident and dare to learn. It is easier than you think. If you can be positive and determined, there's no such thing as darkness at all. It's all up to you.

You Radiate

If you really love someone, you'll be there in the most difficult times. And if your beloved one can make it through difficult times and become a stronger person, you can't be more proud. Sometimes these feelings are so overwhelming, You just can't find the right words to describe them. It's so beautiful to see you shine. You radiate!

On Purpose

Some people might not have the best of intentions. I think there's always a deeper motivation for someone’s actions. People mess up. It doesn’t matter, as long as you learn from it. I see myself as a forgiving person. But there's a line. If you cross that line, I just can't forget or forgive it. It starts to look like it's all on purpose.

Labels

Prejudice is one of the weirdest habits in our society. It's strange that biased thoughts are made so quickly by our subconscious mind. Because if you really think about it, you just can't predict someone’s behavior. Behind every face there's a world you would not expect.

I’m Still Here (In All The Things You See)

I’m Still Here is a song about my grandfather, who passed away in the summer of 2021. On his funeral card there was a poem about nature, and that you’re still here even when your spirit has left your body. The woods, the river, the trees, the meadows, my grandpa was surrounded by all the beautiful things in nature his whole life. He really loved it. And in fact, I believe he’s still there.