Tilly and the Wall are like the musical equivalent of unicorns and mermaids. The first time I heard of this Omaha, Nebraska fivesome I was convinced they were a fictional sonic beast, or something closer to the imaginary friends I always wished I had. First off, with such a storybook-esque moniker–appropriately borrowed from a children’s book–and the whole whimsical notion of a tap dancer as percussionist, I was afraid that this musical entity might evaporate into a rose-colored cloud of smoke before I had a chance to revel in their musical happy ending.
On their decidedly poppier third effort unofficially entitled O (Team Love Records, 2008)–named for an O-shaped frame that will be eventually filled with album cover artwork–Tilly and the Wall sound as ethereal and carnivalesque as ever. They have abandoned some of the more folksy elements for an indie-pop mélange, incorporating drums as well as screeching electric axe action and frenzied blasts from an old-school horn section. Kicking things off with a rock n’ roll edge, “Pot Kettle Black” is a furious psych-influenced track that recalls the sinister stomp of the Sonics with bratty vocals and fervent handclaps, while “Cacophony” is Tilly and the Wall’s signature toe-tapping, multi-dimensional pop that would fit perfectly in both a club setting or a circus dress rehearsal. While there might not be unicorns or splashing mermaids, Tilly and the Wall provide the right amount of musical escapism on O that will give me–and my slew of imaginary peeps–a perfect soundtrack for a dance-filled fantasyland.