On his website, Red Lodge songwriter and instrumentalist Tim Nordstrom quotes psychologist Amos Wilson: “If you want to understand any problem in America, you need to focus on who profits from the problem, not who suffers from the problem.” That pretty much sums up Nordstrom’s focus on his new EP.
The alum of Montana Tunesmith is a social worker by profession. He has seen how poverty afflicts disadvantaged people with mental disorders and dependencies. Domestic violence and verbal and mental abuse are more prevalent among them than in the more affluent, often rendering them powerless to compete in today’s world. Nordstrom refers to these people as “domestic wounded warriors” because they struggle daily to survive, yet are often not given the compassion from society that soldiers receive.
Nordstrom’s songs encourage us to show more empathy, and demand a bigger share of the wealth. He is also the band here, playing guitars, keyboards and percussion, and singing three pieces. Nephew Eli Nordstrom sings lead on two, including “Stop Falling in Line,” which exhorts us to think for ourselves, and stand up for what we believe in.
The rocker “Free Up the Money” finds Nordstrom rapping the lyrics while a fuzzed-out guitar propels the ambience. “Let us all have a say,” he opines.
Arthur Miller’s tragic hero, Willy Loman, takes center-stage in the stark blues number, “Death of a Salesman,” and good old Bernie Madoff gets skewered in “Bleed the Greed.”
Nordstrom highlights how the wealthy subsist on the sweat equity of the middle and lower classes, and proclaims that we must stop it. Social relevance, indeed.
Visit timnordstrom.com.