Customer Reviews

O

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What's more ridiculous than a band whose percussion section is fronted by a tap dancer? When that same band tries to act like a bunch of edgy punks. Like it or not, that's the approach that Tilly in the Wall is taking on their third full-length LP, formally untitled, now known only as "O." What ensues in its 32 minutes is an unlikely blend of punk rock, dance, and indie pop that never really achieves the heights that the band would undoubtedly wish for it.

I've been a fan of Tilly and the Wall since I first heard their music over three years ago. I was captivated by their unique style of indie pop, and more specifically, the unrelenting joy and whimsy that seemed to drip from nearly every second of their music. Even when the band took a more serious route with their songs, their passion and excitement remained the same. It is for this reason that I am particularly disappointed with O. Despite a few toe-tappers and fist-pounders, it is an album completely void of the joy and passion that filled their first two albums.

Standout track, "Pot Kettle Black," is a sad, desperate attempt to be edgy. In it, Kianna takes on gossiping girls with the laughable chorus of , "Pot kettle, pot kettle black/ Talk that, talk that smack!/ Pot kettle, pot kettle black/ Watch yo', watch yo' back!" Just when I thought I would never hear anybody refer to it as "talking smack" ever again, this song brings back the terminology like a gift we didn't know we deserved and didn't really want to begin with. The song's distorted, easy guitar riffs make it sound more like a White Stripes song than Tilly and the Wall, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. This faux hardcore attitude is reflected in the catchy "Blood Flower" ("You better watch what you're doing/ don't go f**kin' around in the garden") or the laughable but energetic closer, "Too Excited." The latter song begins with a 30-second tap dance solo before we have to put up with Kianna shouting silly things like "Well I say boohoo/ And I say f**k you!" or "I'm gonna burn this motherf**kin' party down!" I'm shivering...

Despite my lack of respect for these songs, I've found them to be some of the most enjoyable on the album for the simple fact that they seem to be the few that have discernible passion behind them. "I Found You" is an utter bore, "Poor Man's Ice Cream" is a band's desperate attempt to recreate their breakout song ("Bad Education"), and "Cacophony" is an interesting song with rich instrumentation, but lacks any sort of memorable melody. This is supposed to be pop music, right? A lot of these songs just sound like fan-service; obligatory tracks to quiet the fans and get them to feel like they got their money's worth.

There are some track with which I have no complaints, like the upbeat classic, "Alligator Skin" which hearkens back to the band's old sound. But at only 2:20, it doesn't last near as long as I'd like it to. "Dust Me Off" is another fantastic track that implements a lot of synths and electronics to make a truly memorable dance song. It sounds unlike anything the band has done before, but it's fun and catchy despite its serious lyrical content; kind of like a good Of Montreal song. "Tall Tall Grass" is another solid song. It may be the obligatory ballad, but Tilly and the Wall has always been particularly good at making soft acoustic songs. This one is no different. Kianna's voice is as good as it ever gets on the album, and the band harmonizes beautifully with her on the choruses.

But overall, O is the very definition of a mixed bag. For every solid, decent song on the album, there is another that is either not up to snuff or just plain dumb. Longtime fans of Tilly and the Wall are likely to be surprised by what they hear, and if they're like me, the first couple of listens will be accompanied by a frown or grimace. After about 3 listens, a few of the songs started to grow on me while others, particularly "Pot Kettle Black," just wore out their welcome entirely. This is definitely Tilly and the Wall's riskiest album to date, but unfortunately, it also winds up being their worst. The carefree, happy band that once ran through a gymnasium with streamers in their music video is now a bunch of bada**es who "don't give a s**t if [they're] cool enough." Strange for a band that spends the majority of the time on this album trying to convince us that they are, in fact, the cool kids on the block. And if you don't believe it, they'll kick your a**!

Key Tracks:
1. "Tall Tall Grass"
2. "Alligator Skin"
3. "Dust Me Off"
4. "Falling Without Knowing"
5. "Blood Flower"

5 out of 10 Stars

Tilly and the Wall are a low key band with an alternative sound that is slightly kooky and fun. Instead of having a drummer this band uses various stomps, claps and finger clicks etc to create the percussion and this makes for a unique and interesting listening experience. They reminded me of The Dodos in places and if you like that band then it is a pretty sure bet that you'll like this one. This is a short album but each song is well crafted and this makes for just over half and hour prime listening. My personal favourites are `Beat Control' which is a great way to end any album and `Dust Me Off` has an infectious groove that keeps me pressing repeat, but the whole album has some solid tracks on it. Worth a look if you enjoy good music that isn't afraid to be different.

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If you love Tilly and the Wall, you'll probably like this cd. It's a little different from their other albums with more percussion added, but I still really enjoyed it.

Great album. Not a stinker in it. Fun group, great beat (dancing) and vocals. Not too "pop." Even my preschoolers and my in-Laws like this. You like alternative? You like the 60s? You like the 80s? Good live band and it shows.

As of this album, at least one of the singers in this band has finally become a proper diva. In the good sense! The lead vocals are consistently very strong (whereas on past albums one can hear the singers still building confidence and finding their way, albeit beautifully), and the wonderful tapdancing etc. energy and background eclecticism are still around as always. But now the group as a whole, too, has made a transition: Their songwriting has caught up to, and even surpassed, their emotional presence. The songs "Cacophony", "Chandelier Lake", and "Falling Without Knowing" are just masterpieces. Such rich harmonies!

That emotional presence, the star of their prior album Bottoms of Barrels, has suffered a bit--some of the songs on this album trade in the old, romantic earnestness for a sort of disinterested bitchiness that is rather less special. But this new feeling is delivered playfully enough that it doesn't offend (not this listener, anyway). In fact in the closing song it's whipped into a crackle of electricity, glorious and brief.

Also, my copy came with a "Shrinky Dink"-type insert as its one-of-a-kind handmade artwork or whatever. This object is useless and has little to do with the music, but I found it adorable. :)

This cd is definitely more or an organized, full sound than tilly music in the past, and overall I think it turned out great. My favorites, though, turned out to be the ones that sound most like their usual style: Tall Tall Grass and Cacophony, for example. I didn't love the more electronic sounding tracks like Falling Without Knowing, but I guess all the songs can't sound the same and they are still good songs. My favorite probably turned out to be Chandelier Lake because of all the different sounds that were used. I definitely recommend buying this CD if you already like Tilly's music because it's a great expansion to their sound. If you haven't heard any of their music before, I'd first listen to one of their earlier CD's.

This album is a classic that has yet to be given its due. The best band of the decade doesn't make a carbon copy of _Wild Like Children_, they rock out a little more, produce a fuller sound, and the result is an album full of catchy pop gems. If _Wild Like Children_ was Tilly and the Wall's _Murmur_, then _o_ is their _Life's Rich Pageant_. And yes, I think Tilly and the Wall is to this decade what R.E.M. was to the 80s.

I like "Pot Kettle Black" myself, but listeners who have only heard this song should be aware that the rest of the album doesn't sound like it very much. "Alligator Skin" is a much better example of what you will find here. Other highlights for me include "Tall Tall Grass", "Dust Me Off", "Falling Without Knowing", and "Blood Flower."

I don't hear a weak track on the album. In fact, the whole thing grabbed me even quicker than _Wild Like Children_ did, the second half of which took more listens to fully appreciate. If you want _o_ to sound like _Wild Like Children_, you're going to be disappointed no matter how many times you listen to it. But if you love catchy pop songs that are clever, happy and full of energy, then you are going to love this album on the first listen and every listen.

Picking a best Tilly and the Wall album right now is like picking a best R.E.M. album in 1987. But for now, I will take _o_. _Wild Like Children_ will have to settle for 2nd best album of the decade.

I am a huge Tilly and the Wall fan. I loved Wild Like Children. Bottoms of Barrels was equally as good as the first album. However with O, Tilly seems to mature and the first taste of this album is not exactly what listeners may expect. The tap is there, but it has a sound that is modified from the other two. However, fans will see O as progress and growth for Tilly.

Pot Kettle Black is by far the most catchy song at first listen. It has made it onto numerous playlists I have made, and even non-Tilly fans love this. Falling Without Knowing has turned into my favorite Tilly song. However, I am not going to lie. I had to listen to it twenty times before I truly loved it. My roommate heard it 100 times before she loved it.

The more you listen to this album, the more it grows on you.

Tracks to note:
Pot Kettle Black
Cacophony
Alligator Skin
Falling without Knowing
Blood Flower

You need to listen to this album three times before passing judgement. That is my challenge to you.