Tilly & The Wall: “Love Riot”
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Tilly & the Wall first broke onto the scene in 2006 with the release of their sophomore album Bottoms Of Barrels. The Omaha group shared bandmembers with Bright Eyes, but Tilly & the Wall were more interested in the pop vein of indie than Bright Eyes’ political folk style. Fast forward six years, and Tilly & the Wall have a new album: Heavy Mood, their first in four years and one that incorporates a brasher sound.
Part of the new-found noise is from an old trick. The band is notable for using tap dancing as percussion instead of a drummer, and on Heavy Mood they bring it to the forefront. The record buzzes with schoolyard chants and sing-alongs all while their feet keep steady time. It’s an inventive approach that serves to replicate the band’s memorable live shows.
But Heavy Mood took some crafting. Following tap dancer Jamie Pressnall’s pregnancy in 2008, Tilly & the Wall decided to take a hiatus, and in the intervening years the band members all moved away from Omaha. Demos and song fragments emailed back and forth reignited the spark, and they eventually reconvened with producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, M. Ward) to put it all together. The LP kicks off with “Love Riot,” a romantic call-to-arms that will get feet moving and fists pumping.
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