Pearly Gate Music

Pearly Gate Music, Bella Union****

Apart from being bookended by songs entitled

Golden Funeral

and

Rejoice

, there’s nothing distinctly religious about Zach Tillman’s solo debut. Tillman is possessed of a voice that segues from sonorous to chipper in a matter of chords.

Gossamer Hair

starts life as a folked-up love song, before transforming into a 1960s pop rant.

I Was a River

has its own hymnal rhythm, but Tillman is concerned as much with what he’s saying as how it sounds. There is huge fondness for harmonies, with his brother Josh (of Fleet Foxes) turning

up on I Woke Up. Willfully retro-leaning is no bad thing; 1960s pop and 1970s folk dominate, mixing up quieter moments of storytelling with lush arrangements led by a full band. Not all albums are instant, but Tillman's wonderful songs – infectious, occasionally melancholic – thankfully linger. See myspace. com/pearlygate music.com

Download Tracks: Golden Funeral, If I Was A River, Gossamer Hair