iTunes Music Review: Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels
I actually downloaded this album a couple of weeks ago after hearing the track "Rainbows in the Dark" on NPR's All Songs Considered (which is a great podcast, highly recommended for music nerds like me). What really struck me was that they have a tapdancer instead of a traditional drummer. That's right, a tapdancer. Poor thing must get tired at concerts. While this may seem gimmicky, Tilly and the Wall manage to use the driving Riverdance-esque beats to carve out a sound all their own.
Bottoms of Barrels is their second album, and it has all the hallmarks of a good sophmore collection. The songs are tight and well-produced, and they flow together very well. One of the ways that I can always tell an album is going to be in constant rotation on my iPod is when I never skip over a track, and with Bottoms of Barrels, that is definitely the case. Each song has its own personality, from the raucous, epic opening track Rainbows in the Dark (best described as an exuberant, accordian-laden thoughtful pep rally song, maybe) to the almost flamenco-sounding Bad Education. The songs go from completely unique and inspired, to reflective of their collective music tastes with tracks sprinkled with hints of new wave The Cure Depeche Mode Tears for Fears sensibility.
The album is unique, refreshing, happy, joyous music. Absolutely perfect for summertime and those tired top 40 summer tracks. I highly recommend checking out Bottoms of Barrels on iTunes, and if you are in the Seattle area, Tilly and the Wall are going to be performing a live show at the Paradox on July 11th. See you there!
--Frodo
