Tilly & the Wall

The second offering from Omaha, Neb.’s tap-dancing phenomenon Tilly & the Wall suffers from a bit of the sophomore slump. Bottoms of Barrels is full of thunderous fey-pop gems that fail to measure up to 2004’s Wild Like Children.

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“Rainbows in the Dark” aggrandizes the formula spilling over from the previous record. The flamenco-toned “Bad Education” confronts a Mount Everest of interpersonal baggage, and is among T&TW’s most poignant numbers, second only to “Nights of the Living Dead” from Children. But immaculate production is a poor substitute for good songwriting, and the contrived Scott Walker croon in “Coughing Colors” and the half-baked heartbreak of “Lost Girls” overpower Barrel’s strongest moments. 1 Star.

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Tilly & the Wall plays Thurs., June 22, at the Drunken Unicorn with David Dondero.