Look into the eyes, not around the eyes....

J Tillman kinda reminds me of Derren Brown, which is not really something I thought I would say. It's not because the J-ster (also known as Joshua, also known as the drummer in Fleet Foxes but not ever known as the J-ster) has a scary wee beard and a strangely hypnotic habit of bobbing his head.

It's more the style of their acts. When I saw the Brown-ster live in 2004(ish) I spent the first 30 minutes wondering how he was doing it and the rest of the show just enjoying the sensational live drama. And superb it was too. The J-master and his band get a groovy countryfied atmosphere going, and to begin with you feel compelled to nitpick, to think, "well, this is all very nice, but is it saying very much, is it pastiche, is it all the same". But then, as his songs begin to grow in length and ambition, you stop thinking about it and let his wonderful massive noise wash over you, slide guitar screeching overheard and tearing at your soul.

He is also a somewhat dry chap, bone dry in fact, deadpanning his way through at first sly digs at music critics and blando pop and then upping the ante through a mid-song rant that goes something like this:

"Critics...hypocrites....when the work of your hand works over the work of other people's hands will it mean anything?!"

My grip tightens on my paid-for ticket. A great show and a great musician, just don't end up having a widdle next to him if you've got a notebook on show.....