Scott Irvine
10/01/08, 12:10 PM
Tilly and the Wall - o
Release Date: June 17th, 2008
Record Label: Team Love Records
Who?
While there’s never been a move to escape mediocrity, Tilly and the Wall have maintained a certain, steady interest among festival attendees and the more simple-minded “indie” circles. There’s nothing remarkable about another folk-crutched, baby-faced notch on Team Love’s bedpost, though fans will endlessly remind you that this band uses a tap-dancer as a percussionist; an only slightly unique idea for how subtly they use it. Bottoms of Barrels was a sort of a “girls night out around the campfire”, sparingly producing anything not annoyingly candy-coated with pop lovelorn. With o, it seems the band has cut the bullshit and concentrated on making an album, instead of a couple of singles.
How Is It?
ois just fuller, more alive. “Pot Kettle Black” on a good pair of headphones is worth the price of the album. The lyrics may be a little trite (“Pot kettle/pot kettle black/talk that/talk that smack”), so it’s no wonder the new season of 90210 jumped on the idea of premiering a song that sums up the show’s premise in one, easy verse. The marching rhythm and mocking guitar veers, however, present an undeniable offensive. The rest of the album follows in similar fashion: snarky female vocals, socially-concerned lyrical premises, arrays of instruments (accordion, trumpet, glockenspiels) all coming to a youthful consensus. While Bottoms of Barrels was dragged down by lingering ballads, o remains relatively up-tempo the entire way through. This is definitely for the best as Tilly excels when they’re at their happiest. I couldn’t think of another reason to listen to them, actually. What could make you feel better than a band wild like children and as free-spirited as we once hoped adulthood would be?
Rilo Kiley, Mates of State, Eisley, Desaparecidos
Tilly and the Wall @ Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/officialtillyandthewall)
Release Date: June 17th, 2008
Record Label: Team Love Records
Who?
While there’s never been a move to escape mediocrity, Tilly and the Wall have maintained a certain, steady interest among festival attendees and the more simple-minded “indie” circles. There’s nothing remarkable about another folk-crutched, baby-faced notch on Team Love’s bedpost, though fans will endlessly remind you that this band uses a tap-dancer as a percussionist; an only slightly unique idea for how subtly they use it. Bottoms of Barrels was a sort of a “girls night out around the campfire”, sparingly producing anything not annoyingly candy-coated with pop lovelorn. With o, it seems the band has cut the bullshit and concentrated on making an album, instead of a couple of singles.
How Is It?
ois just fuller, more alive. “Pot Kettle Black” on a good pair of headphones is worth the price of the album. The lyrics may be a little trite (“Pot kettle/pot kettle black/talk that/talk that smack”), so it’s no wonder the new season of 90210 jumped on the idea of premiering a song that sums up the show’s premise in one, easy verse. The marching rhythm and mocking guitar veers, however, present an undeniable offensive. The rest of the album follows in similar fashion: snarky female vocals, socially-concerned lyrical premises, arrays of instruments (accordion, trumpet, glockenspiels) all coming to a youthful consensus. While Bottoms of Barrels was dragged down by lingering ballads, o remains relatively up-tempo the entire way through. This is definitely for the best as Tilly excels when they’re at their happiest. I couldn’t think of another reason to listen to them, actually. What could make you feel better than a band wild like children and as free-spirited as we once hoped adulthood would be?
Rilo Kiley, Mates of State, Eisley, Desaparecidos
Tilly and the Wall @ Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/officialtillyandthewall)