Review Summary: Warm, vibrant, and dependable.
Those who still follow the music of Andrew McMahon (Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness) certainly know what to expect from his work by now. With slight variations made in between albums and changing project names, he has delivered, with a fair amount of consistency, heart-on-sleeve piano-driven pop-rock, occasionally delivering a hook big enough to keep him on the fringe of mainstream relevance. When he's at his best, he's belting out huge choruses that emit a ton of energy, which he most notably accomplished on 2002's
Leaving Through The Window, 2005's
Everything in Transit, and 2017's
Zombies on Broadway. The tantalizing potential to stumble upon
one more Andrew McMahon golden nugget is a perpetual tease, and one that I'll likely remain a slave to for as long as those aforementioned records remain stalwart summer jams
(spoiler: they will always be).
2023's
Tilt At The Wind No More almost delivers the same rush of euphoria. It's got some sticky sweet melodies ('Lying on the Hood of Your Car', 'Stars', 'Smoke & Ribbons') and effortlessly drills into your heart whenever it pleases ('Built to Last', 'Nobody Tells You When You're Young'). The synth-driven approach is a pleasant departure from the predictable piano fare that McMahon usually pedals, and the whole thing sounds as colorful as that gorgeous album artwork. To boot, McMahon's lyrics are as dependably great as those interlocked arms, with unforgettable gems like "Your father was a criminal / He stole your mother's smile" or "The more I think, it's less like courage to run when hopeless days will pass" buoying the record's smooth, glossy finish. At a glance,
Tilt seems to encompass most, if not all, of Andrew's best traits as a musician.
Where the album falters is in its inability to inspire the same kind of excitement as past Andrew McMahon works. The drumming here is rather subdued, only momentarily surfacing for air. McMahon's vocals are more pensive than lively, which befits portions of the content but also results in some of the most infectious melodies here – ones that are practically begging to explode – feeling a tad sluggish. Andrew's work has always lent itself to a nice blend of upbeat pop-rock bangers and weighty emotional content – going back to his leukemia diagnosis and how 2008's
The Glass Passenger documented that struggle – but the longer McMahon's career continues, the fewer and farther between those huge,
fun sing-along moments have become. There's something to be said for what he has been through, both as an artist and a person, as well as his maturation from pop-punker to father of a nine year old daughter – but having only two or three uptempo moments on a full-length LP will almost always result in an experience that drags on, as
Tilt occasionally does.
All in all,
Tilt At The Wind No More still represents a turn in the right direction. 2018's
Upside Down Flowers, while elegant, saw Andrew stuck in a midtempo haze that I was afraid he would not break free from.
Tilt remedies that with a focus on memorable melodies and atmospheric warmth. Even if the notes don't quite jump off the page with the same vivaciousness as McMahon's most purely enjoyable past releases, that doesn't diminish this thing's heart.
Tilt is a catchy-enough outing with plenty of depth; proof that McMahon's ability to keep listeners coming back for the bait is still alive and well.
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