The Tillers - Hand on the Plow (2013)

The Tillers are as much about the tremendous atmosphere they create, as they are about musical quality, despite that quality being almost unsurpassable. In fact, I ve found it easy to put them on the same pedestal as the Sumner Brothers and Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, two bands that for me are the epitome of real country music. They could even prove to be the seminal band that bridges the gap between the old time hillbilly recordings of eight or nine decades ago and the spate of tremendous modern day bands that follow the same muse. Their music is still developing, with this album containing all band originals of huge quality and of course the fact that they include two excellent lead vocalists with differing styles certainly helps. The Tillers are multi instrumentalist Mike Oberst on vocals and banjo, Sean Geil, guitar and vocals and Aaron Geil on bass, with all hailing from Cincinatti. Often the bass is used to simply lay a solid foundation but on this album it is more forward in the mix, at times sounding like a jug used decades ago by the old time string bands. It does lay a solid foundation but ultimately is the equal of the other instruments on show, binding everything together on this generally sparse recording.
The music is raw and cutting but somehow uplifting and emotionally stirring with it s roots in old timey, bluegrass, blues and folk, although these terms make for a rather tenuous comparison on an album that in many ways masks it s influences with both the originality and individuality this trio are able to call on. Every song has an emotional impact, even if you don t get all of the lyrics, pointing to the fact that the composition of each is of a high quality along with the sparse but hugely atmospheric instrumentation and the incredibly evocative lead and harmony vocals. The songs somehow evoke snippets of real life, with no beginning to the excellent stories and no real end, more statement of facts and reminiscences.