Vacilando

J. TillmanVacilando Territory BluesMy biggest issue with singer/songwriter J. Tillman was that, like other soft-voiced songwriters out there, he seemed incapable of turning things up a bit … rocking out. Neil turns ‘em up regularly - he found a way despite a somewhat flimsy-sounding set of pipes. Will Oldham can yelp. Ray Lamontagne (whose vocals sound an awful lot like Tillman’s) offers much variety on his albums, even if they aren’t so great. Even Nick Drake found ways to kick things into second gear from time to time. Not Tillman. Not in any way that has worked for these ears.

Then came Vacilando Territory Blues, Tillman’s new album on Western Vinyl Records. Better yet: then came a tune called “New Imperial Grand Blues.” Or how about a rocker called “Steel On Steel”; now that’s a song! These two tunes - and at least two or three others found here - beg that Tillman may be more than the new drummer for the Fleet Foxes … more than his past albums (most notably the critically acclaimed Minor Works and Cancer and Delirium records) were. Those two albums, good as they were at times, appeared to be more so spotty flukes than they were quiet promises for better times.

The bulk of this albums - and by that, I mean the slow, hushed tunes - feels familiar to a fault. The writing is good; the music is great in its lo-fi folk-y fullness; Tillman’s vocals work just fine; and so on. There is nothing here, unless you’re not a fan of lo-fi recordings, to gripe too much about. That said, save for a moment here and there, there’s not much to truly celebrate or even turn up for your neighbors to hear. The more familiar you become with Vacilando’s 12 ½ songs, the more you’ll enjoy the bulk of them, sure - it works on that level. But will you fall head-over-heels for Tillman’s version of the Quiet Songwriter Blues? Some will, certainly. Some will likely play “Steel on Steel,” “New Imperial Grand Blues” and a couple of the quieter tunes until they die. Most, however, will use this record to help them fall asleep on lazy Saturday afternoons. Is there something wrong with that? Nothing. I often listen to Neil Young’s great Comes a Time for that very reason.   7/10

Written by G. William Locke