Those more in tune with the music of the eighties might remember The Tea Set, an intriguing post-punk band that at the time, until its breakup included Nick Haeffner, who now operates under the very broad scope that some call the singer-songwriter genre.
Between the breakup of The Tea Set and his return to music in 2019, Haeffner taught film and photography at a London art college, something that might have (along with his previous musical experience) influenced the eclecticism that can be found on his latest album What Time Can Do.
Sure, you can put that, for for some dreaded tag of singer songwriter on Haeffner and the music he brings us here, but this music has more to do with the likes of John Cale, Kevin Ayers, Andy Partridge or bands like Stereolab and The High Llamas (after all, Paul Tipler of Stereolab and Marcus Holdaway of The High Llamas are both involved in with this album), tht with your ‘olde’ folk type of singer songwriters. Still, at various points during this album Haeffner touches that ground too, but that left-field quirkiness dominates his songwriting that shines throughout, coupled with an almost perfect musical execution and production.
And while the connection with some old masters could be clearly drawn here, there is that current songwriting and production touch to this album that makes it both familiar and brand new at the same time.
