J Tillman
Vacilando Territory Blues
Release Date: Jan 27, 2009
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Record label: Western Vinyl
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Album Review: Vacilando Territory Blues by J Tillman
Fairly Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 7/10
Most of you will have have heard of Fleet Foxes, if not actually heard them. To some, these Folkish-beardy-rockers were hyped to the hilt last year, leaving a sick taste in the mouth of those who believed the lavish praise to be unwarranted. Relevance? Josh Tillman is the drummer for Fleet Foxes, and Vacilando Territory Blues is actually his sixth release as a solo artist (though only his second in Europe).
Based on rating 6/10
There’s more interest in this release now that the singer-songwriter is playing with Fleet Foxes, but it turns out J. Tillman has been making music for quiet some time. Vacilando Territory Blues is Tillman’s fifth solo album; while his previous records have a determinedly insular tone, this latest ventures a hesitant step towards his new band’s gorgeous harmony.
Opinion: Very Good
Joshua Tillman had been releasing his own sparse, folk-influenced music for some years before he became the drummer for Fleet Foxes. Membership in one of 2008's most lauded bands could do wonders for that solo career; equally, it could leave some listeners feeling faintly disappointed. Where Fleet Foxes' music swells and soars, Tillman's songs crouch and mourn; his sound is more reminiscent of chilly, candlelit rooms than the magical forests of Fleet Foxes.