'Year in the Kingdom' by J. Tillman

Year in the Kingdom

by J. Tillman

Release date: 22nd September 2009

Tracklist: Year in the Kingdom / Crosswinds / Earthly Bodies / Howling Light / Though I Have Wronged You / Age of Man / There is No Good in Me / Marked in the Valley / Light of the Living //

J. Tillman is one of those artists that consistently demonstrates how diverse a musician can be - from being a member of the Fleet Foxes to creating solo work under another pseudonym Father John Misty. If you've heard his most recent release under Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear, and his work with Fleet Foxes you'll see how different this album is - sparser in arrangments, more of an acoustic focus. Year in the Kingdom is among his eight other releases under J. Tillman, this album was among another release in the same year, both albums together proving to be solid releases.

Year in the Kingdom is a very different release to that of his work with Fleet Foxes and as Father John Misty – although he experiments with arrangements in this album it feels much more raw and has a lot more character – in terms of it being a lot less pristine. Both his work with Fleet Foxes and as Father John Misty gave off this illusion of a pristinely recorded outcome – Fleet Foxes with their ineffable and, in a way, untouchable harmonies that are consistently littered throughout their work and Father John Misty because of his well orchestrated album that was very well-thought-out and well recorded. J. Tillman experiments with all of these elements and ideas that are littered throughout their music but explores it in a subtler, rougher way.

An element that is present in both is the ability to be a storyteller. He connects with storytelling in a way that is different to both of them, fulfilling his role as a folk-singer-songwriter. He’s much less brutally honest as J. Tillman, and also much more concise giving more literal imagery in his words than Fleet Foxes do. Year in the Kingdom gives off a different side, which is brilliant to be able to experience it and hear the difference between his work.

Along with his guitar accompaniment, he incorporates other instruments – lots of percussion and, in Crosswinds, what sounds like a harp – never do they give off or spoil the soundscape that’s created in the opening title track. In the title track especially, it has one of the sparsest textures with just his voice and guitar. His voice takes over the entire track, recorded closely to the front of the texture and making the guitar feel like a real accompaniment – and in a sense, an afterthought.

Between Year in the Kingdom and Crosswinds there’s quite a difference – the arrangement has increased where it opens with not just his guitar but percussive instruments, winds instruments, that give of this howling/crosswinds effect and a harp that plays a motif that’s repeated throughout the track. Crosswinds is one of the standout tracks on the album. This harp also accompanies in Howling Wind following through with legato scalic motifs that also acts as answers melodies in both the guitar and vocal parts.

The album produces a subtle elegance and complete consistency as it flows through each track that feels like a book you picked up and still haven’t put down – and it’s one of those books you don’t want to put down. If you liked his other work, either as a part of Fleet Foxes or his other solo work this fits in so well. It’s an easy listening album that’s executed brilliantly for someone who released two albums in the same year and did so in the year previous and after. Have a listen to the album below: