J. Tillman YEAR IN THE KINGDOM (Bella Union)

After dropping out of college in New York, Josh Tillman (b. 1981) moved to Seattle and spent a year paying rent by freelance writing and donating plasma. Befriending Eric Fisher (Damien Jurado, Rosie Thomas) while on tour in the fall on 2004, Tillman coerced him into recording what would become ‘I Will Return,’ a full-length reminiscent of the southern-gothic writings of Flannery O’Conner and the music of Nick Drake and Pete Seeger. The CD-R was distributed and promoted word-of-mouth in paper sleeves while on the road (with acts such as Damien Jurado, Dolorean and Saxon Shore) for over a year until spring 2005 when KEEP Recordings offered to release a limited, special edition run of the record. Tillman continues to record constantly, finishing a full-length with Fisher entitled ‘Long May You Run, J. Tillman.’

Aside from his role as a prolific singer-songwriter, he also plays drums for Seattle based band Fleet Foxes. Tillman’s fifth solo album VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES featuring his mournful vocals, backed by sparse and doleful acoustic guitar with occasionally understated piano, bells and violin. He is currently touring with Fleet Foxes as a member of the full band.

I became acquainted with Tillman on the release of his last album, VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES, a stripped-down, home-recording of immense emotional depth, and melodic beauty. While this album was released in the USA in 2008, in the UK it appeared in 2009, so this new album follows close on its heels. For me, Tillman is one of the genuine and best singer/songwriters. His songs are introspective and communicated by a voice that reveals intense feeling, as though the messages come from deep within. This album adds high production values to his superb story-telling skills.

‘A Year In The Kingdom’ opens proceedings with strummed guitar and a quivering voice high on emotional intensity. The melody is more subtle than anything on his previous album and effectively focuses attention on his beautifully clear lyrics. ‘Crosswinds’ is the first example of the vastly increased production values. There’s the ghostly sound of seagulls flying overhead, instrumental sound samples and all giving away eventually to profound guitar chords and the most beautiful vocal chorus. Finally Tillman’s voice enters, occasionally multi-layered, to communicate the most moving lyrics. The choruses see the return of those group vocals until finally the solo vocal returns and fades out to end another beautiful song.

‘Earthly Bodies’ makes more use of those gorgeous multi-layered vocals while low-key piano notes ring out. Orchestral strings and percussive sounds add drama to a darker song. Utterly beautiful. ‘Howling Lights’ offers a more complex song structure and well-crafted production as Tillman’s voice dives and soars trailed by strings, clavichord-sounding keys, hand-claps and pounding guitar notes. ‘Though I Have Wronged You’ offers a similar mix but the extraordinary thing is that songs don’t sound over-dressed, over-produced - just perfectly judged.

‘Age Of Man’ introduces a sharp-sounding banjo or ukulele in sole support of heartbreaking, expressive close-mic vocal. ‘There Is No Good In Me’ is a dramatically different and brooding instrumental arrangement with dark lyrics to match (”there is no good in me, I possess a whole new fear…”). This is the longest song here and provides time for angelic vocal harmionies to enter, sounding as if someone is being lifted to the heavens…

Tillman has created something very special here. One has to dig deep to discover the most subtle of melodies and my only criticism is that they are not strong enough. However, the instrumental arrangements and vocal performances - all superbly produced - convey a haunting emotional ambience that is both unique and compelling.

4/5