TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT (Eagles) – Day By Day (2022)

The man who has graced countless AOR albums with his harmony / backing vocals & songwriting contributions, Eagles’ bass player TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT, has released a new solo album titled “Day By Day” featuring special guests Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, John Fogerty, Benmont Tench, Jim Keltner, John McFee and Kenny Wayne Sheppard.
Much like his band Eagles, Schmit is not a particularly prolific creature when it comes releasing solo material. He’s released just seven solo albums during the past 38 years, the last, 6 years ago. But when Schmit does put something out, he usually makes it worth the wait – as is the case with ”Day By Day”.
Co-produced by Schmit and Jeff Peters and recorded primarily remotely during the pandemic, the 12-song set displays smooth, easygoing confidence alongside its broad stylistic reach.

Just an occasional singer on his three Eagles studio albums, it’s nice to again hear Schmit get a full LP’s worth of tunes to present and stretch himself, whether powering through the gritty rock of “Mr. X,” the bouncy doo-wop of “Conflicted,” the country-folk strains of “Something You Should Know” or the poppy cadences in “I Come Alive” and “Questions of the Heart.”
He’s not a powerhouse singer in the conventional fashion, but Schmit’s high tenor has a flexible authority that’s not specific to any genre – in the best way possible.

It’s also nice to hear a veteran artist who’s not concerned with time constraints: Most of Day by Day’s tracks push past five minutes and a few even creep up near seven, letting the songs breathe and build.
Most of Day by Day’s highlights are the songs that find Schmit playing nice with others. Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham elevates the first single, “Simple Man,” with trademark electric and acoustic guitar flavors; with Beach Boys progeny Matt Jardine and Chris Farmer joining on vocal harmonies, it’s a sonic TripTik of southern California pop.

On “Grinding Stone,” meanwhile, Schmit channels the Band with help from the Doobie Brothers’ John McFee and Jackson Browne & John Fogerty on backing vocals, while “Taste Like Candy” emerges from a lush string section opening into a bluesy, mid-tempo groove spiced by Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s lead guitar and Benmont Tench’s organ.
And for “Feather in the Wind” Schmit rides a drone-like ambience a la vintage Neil Young until Jardine, Chris Farmer and Brian Wilson band stalwart Darian Sahanaja kick in with more of those soaring Beach Boys harmonies to give the track an additional lift.

”Day By Day” has other pleasures – a perhaps final opportunity to hear the late Mike Finnigan play the organ, Errol Cooney’s extended outro guitar solo on “Mr. X,” Schmit’s harmonica on “Question of the Heart.”
And “Where We Belong” closes the album with a steady, majestic pulse built from the most basic configuration of guitar, bass and drums.
He may self-identify as a “Simple Man,” but Schmit covers a lot of bases here and reminds us of the ample skills he brings as a writer, player and singer. And hopefully, it won’t take six years to get another demonstration of that.
Highly Recommended

01 – Simple Man
02 – The Next Rainbow
03 – Heartbeat
04 – Mr. X
05 – Question of the Heart
06 – Something You Should Know
07 – I Come Alive
08 – Feather in the Wind
09 – Grinding Stone
10 – Taste Like Candy
11 – Conflicted
12 – Where We Belong

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www.amazon.com/Day-Timothy-B-Schmit/dp/B09TRR8XZ9