O
- Tilly and the Wall
- Band Name: Tilly and the Wall
- Record Label: Team Love
- Release Date: Jun 17, 2008
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Tilly And The Wall are excellent at writing instantly infectious pop songs ("Dust Me Off" may be their best yet), and they've finally corralled a full palate to go with it.
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The result is an expansion of the band’s sound, which offers some pleasing diversions into the dark (musically) and profane (lyrically) to offset a tendency that often leans toward the saccharine. [Summer 2008]
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Clever, joyous and never patronising, O is a half hour bite of summer that’s perfect for fending off the darkening nights.
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O finds Tilly And The Wall perfecting the art of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses--without losing their inherent sweetness or zest for music's restorative qualities. [July 2008, p.150]
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80Twee-sy tiger! Omaha act mix up their newest record with more attitude but still stay true to their original style.
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80Tilly and the Wall stick with their signature combination of half-shouted words and harmony vocals. But the group also breaks new ground with punk rock riffs and percussion that well surpasses the standard of tambourines and Jamie Pressnall's tap dancing.
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76Despite the evolution of their sound, Tilly and the Wall haven't forgotten about what made them appealing in the first place: bright co-ed harmonies, rousing choruses, and their overall open-hearted good nature.
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70Yet here they are on their third full-length, and rather than calcify into indie-scene shtick, Tilly's music has gotten funnier and more vibrant.
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70In contrast to the potty-mouthed numbers that precede it, the song's ['Heartbeats'] starry-eyed optimism is contagious and solidifies Tilly & the Wall's status as an indie band with dance-floor aspirations.
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The Tillys have managed to keep the tap alive by focusing on quality songwriting while at the same time preserving their youthful wonder and elegant sensibilities.
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67On their third album O, the day-glo Omaha quintet Tilly and the Wall spoons some peanut butter into my mouth. After an initial scare with the typically saccharine, non-album single 'Beat Control,' they diversify after all, which doesn't mean more overdubs.
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65In the end, it's not going to change the world, but it shows that the group is definitely expanding (in a good way) their sound from their early days.
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60O resoounds with the lustily imparted vocals of Kianna Alarid and Neely Jenkins, while the band's signature instrumental palette--fizzing guitars, chunky '60s organs--has expanded into a thick sonic cheesecake. [Nov 2008, p.109]
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60Their third LP reveal a sweary rock toughness that suits them (surprisingly) well. [Nov 2008, p.120]
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As it stands, this one just squeaks by on the power of some very good songs and their typically energetic performances.
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60It's a heady, exuberant mix, although the mystifyingly reduced vocal contribution of Jamie's husband Derek in turn reduces their uniqueness. [Nov 2008, p.123]
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Now mature pop songwriters, the Omaha quintet sounds more like a conventional band on O, favoring rousing sing-along choruses, richly layered pianos and trumpets, and even standard drum kits.
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50On the album’s strongest songs, the band displays a strong sense of self, infusing their previous sound with unexpected sonic twists and turns. On the weaker songs, however, they betray their core aesthetic, adopting attitudes and sounds that make them sound disingenuous at best and at worst, like self-conscious poseurs.
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TimE.9
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ChadS.9
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ErikaW9A great album with a couple key listening-list tracks. An improvement from their last album.