The Spin: Tje Austin – Love Me Knots
Released: June 24, 2008
2008 between the line
[rate 5]

The first time I heard Tje Austin (pronounced “tye”) was on a brisk walk from the Elephant Room to Sixth Street, downtown Austin, Texas.  By chance I was walking by a crowd of spectators in front of the Frost Tower, when an unexpected soulful note belted out across Congress Ave.  I pretty much stopped dead in my tracks.

Austin, Texas is known for it’s solid blues, country, and rock scene.  Although live music in Austin is always a rich experience, it’s not everyday that you will hear a R&B/soul act that genuinely floors you.  I was fortunate enough to listen to the last 15 minutes of Tje Austin’s street set.  Armed with only a guitar and a small PA setup, Tje Austin quickly sold out the busy nook underneath the Frost Tower street corner.

Love me Knots is Tje Austin’s debut album, introducing the young and talented artist to the American R&B/Soul scene.  The album led by top selling single “Away from You,” is a mostly acoustic record, focused around Tje Austin’s vocals and lyric content.

“Away from you,” featuring guitarist David Scher on the acoustic, is a soulful pouring of a young man’s mixed emotions of being lost in love.  The stirring single showcases both Tje’s smooth vocals and the range and depth of his lyrical content.  Listeners who have experienced the heartache of a rocky relationship beware, this single may awaken bittersweet memories.

Although most of the album does a good job portraying the essence of Tje Austin’s acoustic sound, at times, songs such as “How Long,” “Emotions,” “The Attention of Love,” and “Today and Tomorrow” leave the listener wanting a bit more track production.  I can almost hear the missing instrumentation that should be filling in the empty space to support the foundation of what otherwise are solidly written songs.

“In Every Woman” is a soft heart-tugger backed by a simple finger-picked guitar.  It never fails to amaze me how easy it is to relate to Tje Austin’s lyrics and “In Every Woman” is no exception.  I remember this is one of the songs that particularly caught my attention while listening to Tje play live because all the ladies in the audience seemed to know every word by heart.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Love Me Knots, this is definitely a great album to have in your iTunes rotation.  Check out Tje Austin’s Love Me Knots available for sale in High Definition on iTunes Plus.