 
One of my most distinct childhood memories is riding in the back of my mother’s car and having to listen to KOST 103.5, which, for those of you who have never had the pleasure of residing in the greater Los Angeles area, is a run-of-the-mill adult love song station. These tunes about lost love were not only indiscernible to my eight-year old mind, but the slow drone of the drum machine, the steady croon of the heartbroken, and the repetitive hooks of the guitars and basses were completely and utterly sleep inducing. Listening to Jeff Black’s Tin Lily, I am transported back to those sleepy afternoons with the sudden realization that my disinterest may not have been solely caused by youthful ignorance. From Kansas City, Black attempts to recreate his home in his music by blending classic rock with country. “Libertine,” exemplifies this by opening with a clashing of southern fried guitars, piano, and violin and keeping the pace with Black’s twangy vocals. Ultimately, however, the god awful lyrics (“riding on a western star, she’s a movie star, she’s a movie star…”) bring the whole song down. “Easy On Me,” the opening track, and “Heaven Now” are the album’s highlights, showcasing Black’s vocal range and ability to craft simple heartfelt melodies. But the appeal of these songs is not so much in Black’s unique style as it is in the familiarity of the general sound. Upon a second listen, I realized I liked these tracks because his voice sounds strikingly similar to that of Bruce Springsteen. “Easy On Me,” in particular, is the twin bastard brother of Springsteen’s “Devils & Dust.” In short, this album doesn’t suck completely. At its best, it
sounds like a rip off of later Springsteen and, at its worst, it sounds
like the music your parents would force feed you as a child. Either
way, you’re better off listening to more distinctly alt-country
albums like Whiskeytown’s Pneumonia or Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne.
– Natalie Tsu |
Jeff
Black