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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Watch yo', watch yo' back! Tilly and the Wall is comin'..., June 23, 2008
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
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5.0 out of 5 stars
my favorite album of the decade, April 7, 2009
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.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mostly Great, June 17, 2008
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.
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