James Tillman

Coming straight off the heels of VM2, a release whose wistful rhythms aimed to soothe during the height of quarantine, James Tillman follows up with 8-track elegy Modern Desires.

This Album further builds upon the foundation of language that James best speaks through: introspective soul with an airy selection of melodic color. James is known for his mastery of intimate soundscapes, melding intricate, buttery basslines with dynamic guitar arrangements interspersed with crisp idiosyncratic drumwork. Tillman anchors these elements with a smooth syncopated croon that brings these suspended acoustics back down to earth.

His newest body of work Modern Desires speaks to these tactile sensibilities, while moving in a new raw direction. Lush percussion and dynamic vocal performances dance from ear to ear as narratives around inhibition and evanescent romance unfold. Pleasantly distorted rhythmics juxtaposed with Tillman’s crisp, wistful harmonics give tracks like Tokyo Love Affair a sense of warmth, while the wild, orchestral undertones of Wake Up impel a sense of gravitas.

Tillman is adept at removing the barrier between listener and performer. Whether you enjoy his oeuvre through small speakers in your apartment, earbuds on a crowded city commute or out loud at a familiar gathering, it feels as though James is speaking directly to you; Platforms that convey his message take a back seat to his musings.

Rich, deep cuts like Night Moves bring about on one hand a sense of tender external awareness, and on the other a forgiving sense of self-reflection. Not one to settle on purely the transient joys of life, Tillman touches upon heartbreak, insecurity, and all that we have lost and can lose - thus maintaining a sense of dimensionality in his prose. He exists beyond in the wide, blue sky and beneath the clouds equanimously- something of a paradox.

Black masculinity and its hard edges are beveled in tracks that touch upon gentle, unashamed affection and vulnerability. James presents themes of introspection in ways that combine a mature acknowledgement of past trials with a tenacious drive to be better as we move toward the future, whether there be sunshine or rain.