Record Review
February 13, 2009
Vacilando Territory Blues by J Tillman
I’m not a huge fan of Fleet Foxes, for which the very talented J Tillman drums, so I was a bit surprised at this one. J Tillman’s work is diverse, haunting and very satisfying and I’ve had this album on high rotation for the last week or so.
I first heard J Tillman (well, his solo stuff) about a week or so ago. The soulful dirge “Laborless Land” was on KEXP and it caught my attention immediately. It sounds a bit like a mix between Pete Yorn and Dallas Green, two of my favorite vocalists, especially when they do the mellow. I noted it down and bought the album as soon as I could. It was only later that I found out about J being the drummer for Fleet Foxes, a band I sort of enjoy, but never could really get into.
Vacilando Territory Blues is a great and instantly memorable album. Many of the tracks are slow and haunting, in the vein of “Laborless Land” but there are also a few surprises. My favorite track is “Steel on Steel” which has a bit of a jazzy, bluesy feel almost reminiscent to Sondre Lerche’s Two Way Monologue at points. I can also really hear the similarity in Tillman’s voice to Dallas Green here.
The Bottom Line
It’s mellow and languid, to be sure, but if you’re looking for a nice, quiet and well done album to relax to, look no further than Vacilando Territory Blues. RIYL: City and Colour, Pete Yorn, Nick Drake, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird
