not wanting to fall short of my mantle as purveyor of melancholy, internet-derived, acoustic ear balm not to mention the fact that two thirds of the hl will be hopping in the merc and heading to the seaside to catch some of j tillman’s meanderings next week, i figured it was time i got around to at least a cursory attempt at the review i promised way back in october, of the j tillman album, minor works.
now the thing is i don’t write for pitchfug or none of those worthy-opinionators and i can’t quite seem to seperate the man from the music and the music from the myth. and i’m so utterly enamoured of this release (his first real record on the admirable keep recordings) that i really can’t be objective.
josh tillman has a quiet, stoney voice which must barely register on an mixing desk eq, his fingers squeak on the fretboard and you hear him breathe. maybe its because he’s pouring his heart out with such concentration and earnest that forcing volume as well as emotion might deflate him too much.
when he first posted a couple of tracks from minor works on his myspace page i wasn’t so impressed. there was some slide guitar and even a (whisper it) drum, so used was i to his voice and guitar four-track bedroom demo ‘long may you run, j. tillman’ that this occasional loudness was an affront. but when i listened closer and found the melody and his subtle, measured gothic way with words still wove its way around the more trad alt-countryisms it just gave me even more reason to listen to minor works on repeat.
i think he’s so talented that words almost fail me (yeah, i did say almost) so just listen…

j tillman - restlessness