Search - Tilly & The Wall :: Bottoms of Barrels

Their Best Yet!

Cale E. Reneau | Conroe, Texas United States | 05/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am in love with Tilly and the Wall.



After hearing their first album "Wild Like Children" for the first time around a year ago, I was instantly hooked by the group's unique style and carefree sound. It's not too often that a band decides to forego the typical drumset for a drum machine, but when a band passes up both of those items for a tap dancer and trash can lids...well, it's time to have some fun! That being said, "Bottoms of Barrels" is a lot of the same, and so much more.



Mike Mogis steps in this timme around as producer, and it shows. The man famous for working with bands like Bright Eyes and The Concretes has made Tilly and the Wall sound much more well-rounded and polished. No longer does Tilly and the Wall sound like a one-trick high school gimmick band. They sound legitimate now, yet they maintain their signature sound.



The album begins with "Rainbows in the Dark," the standard Tilly and the Wall song that doesn't stray much from "Fell Down the Stairs, "the lead-off track to their previous album. What is noticably different, however, is the lyrical content. Whereas "Wild Like Children" was essentially an album about kissing, dancing, and other fun "Child-ish" things, "Bottoms of Barrels" contains more adult lyrics and even more of an adult sound. "Love Song," for example, is perhaps Tilly and the Wall's first attempt at a true acoustic guitar ballad. It is not only more mature than any Tilly and the Wall song before it, but it is also beautiful, well-written, and utterly unique. This matured Tilly and the Wall is all over the place on the album, notably on "Lost Girls" and "Coughing Colors." Despite this, the band has managed to maintain what made them so attractive in the past.



"Bottoms of Barrels" is a really fun album. The first single "Bad Education," for example, perfectly displays how the band has matured musically, yet remained true to their fans and their sound. Additionally, songs like "Sing Songs Along," "Black and Blue," and "The Freest Man" will be stuck in your head for days (and perhaps longer, but I've only had the CD for a week). Don't be mistaken. Tilly and the Wall is back, and they are louder, happier, and more fun-loving than ever before. This album completely wallops their previous efforts, and I am still obsessed with them.



By all means, "Bottoms of Barrels" is an amazing album. Tilly and the Wall is one of the most underappreciated and unnoticed bands in music today. Hopefully, this album will help get them the admiration and attention that they undoubtedly deserve. Indeed, with such attractive melodies and beautiful lyrics, there's nothing on this album that should go unloved. "Bottoms of Barrels" is one of the best albums of 2006 thus far, and from the sound of it, Tilly and the Wall has much much more in store for us!!



Recommended for fans of Tilly and the Wall, Mates of State, The Boy Least Likely To and anyone who needs music to accompany their carefree activities, like playing in the sprinkler.



Key Tracks:

1. "Rainbows in the Dark"

2. "Bad Education"

3. "Love Song:

4. "Sing Songs Along"

5. "Black and Blue"



5 out of 5 Stars"

Care-free Wunderkind, WOW!

Seyton | Chicaaawgaa! | 10/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys totally took me by surprise. I'm coming from an outsider's viewpoint. I read some stuff about them and decided to give them a spin.



Very glad I did!



There's no denying there's alot of subconscious remarks of comparison in my head that come to me when I listen to this.



Does that make this bad? Not at all! With melodies and arrangements that sound as though Oberst decided to sing about pure happy fluff stuff, and percussions that could rival that of Stomp! this group has very much going for them.



Each track molds and shifts into a new sound, and I am reminded of different types of music and of the world. "Bad Education" gives me images of a gun shooter duking it out with a Flamenco dancer, while being backed up by a Ukrainian gypsy band! Weird I know but that's how I envision these songs with each one a story of it's own, regardless of what they're singing about sometime! But they're very much infused with the heart of Americana and very folky yet poppy enough that most won't notice that which is good, in order to branch out to all kinds of people willing to take a listen.



Not only that but the lyrics and the vocals are beautiful! So much are we succumbed to the usual indie folk that really don't have the voice to express their emotions and thoughts. But with these female vocals that stand so strong and vibrant they really compliment the sounds that encompass you and the singers.



And those that say "more tap dancing". Honestly, what is the big deal? It's not a gimmick, it's a part of their instrument base, it's no longer a prank or twist, but an instrument in itself and it works very well.



They can totally keep up with any other drum kit and percussionist out there. They don't take over the tracks nor are they background filler. They fill in just nicely all over. As do the rest of the sounds, be it pianos, organs, synths or trash can lids.



You want to make music you'll find a way and they have!



And these guys are very uplifting, their music evoke almost like that of Aquarius; full of youth, playfulness, mystery and everything we hated back then but long for now!



It's nice to hear something refreshing like this out of all the usual dark and moody or straight up nonsensical lyricism out there.



I highly recommend this album to those that are into beautiful good music.

Now I'm off to listen to their first. I'm sure I won't be disappointed."

Wait--So, Like, It's Cool to be Happy?

Gianmarco Manzione | Tampa, FL USA | 04/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Tilly and the Wall is what happens when songs have babies. The obvious offspring of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," they are not an entirely female group-with Derek Pressnall on guitar and Nick White on keyboards-but the band's heart clearly resides in its trio of dancing wondergirls: Neely Jenkins, Jamie Pressnall and Kianna Alarid. Armed with tambourines, tap dancing shoes and really awesome hair, they leap into a joyous abandon on every song and instantly persuade you that something completely incredible has just happened, something worthy of the most jubilant celebration, but you're never quite sure what it is. And you don't care-because not caring has never been this much fun. And anyway, what can possibly be cooler than using a tap dancer as a "percussionist"? The answer, as you may have guessed, is a definitive "absolutely nothing." As if out to prove beyond the shadow of anyone's doubt that there's a reason why they're named after a children's book, Tilly's debut explodes with every ounce of that "enthusiastic hyperactivity" they boast of on their website, noting as well that it "set a precedent for" the identity of their young label, Conor Olberst's "Team Love," with music that is "original, smart, exuberant and, above all, easy to sing along to." If you think they sound a little proud of themselves, you probably haven't listened to "Bottoms of Barrells" yet. Check it out and you'll understand. This band is one of the most fascinating musical experiments to come along in quite some time.



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