Tilly and the Wall

It’s hard not to fall for the charms of Omaha musical troupe Tilly and the Wall. If it’s not the glorious group vocals of "Sing Songs Along” then maybe Jamie Williams’s feet will hold your attention. Williams was Tilly’s initial gimmick, a tap dancer subbing for a trap kit to great percussive effect. It’s still a great trick, adding to the dissonance of "Rainbows in the Dark” and "Bad Education,” which both come off as straight-ahead Fiery Furnaces numbers. These are the edges that get rounded off on less successful folk pop fare such as "Lost Girls” and "Love Song.” There are some solid rockers too like "Urgency” and "Black and Blue,” in which Williams’s clickety-clacks sound off like firecrackers. It can be a little too precious some times, but there’s enough weight to Bottoms of Barrels to sustain interest in the orchestral pop of Tilly and the Wall. Oh, and the "making of” CD-Rom is a nice touch.