In Moonlight - EP

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Trevor James Tillery's solo debut, In Moonlight, is a six-song EP packed with lushly produced gems that draw upon influences like Air and Radiohead. Weaving his gentle voice over plaintive sonics that veer from the cinematic to the dreamy, Tillery's vocals recall the fragility of Sufjan Stevens or Conor Oberst draped atop the swirling layers composed by Air or M83. Recorded in 2015 with producer Joshua D. Niles, In Moonlight is Tillery's reflection on life, death, and the darkness that comes before the dawn. Plaintive and dreamy, his grasp of textures bolsters the gentle "Silver Sea" and elevates the uplifting "Carry You Down." "Want" buzzes like the most jittery of Thom Yorke's work. "Out of Time" starts out like a lost Air track, but morphs into a psych-rock journey that shimmers as it builds to a confident close. "Sleeptalking" throbs, propelling forward like Daniel Johns' solo work colliding with Duncan Sheik. The first incarnation of lead single "The Dissonance Between Us" appeared on Tillery's prior project, Brotherun, with his brother Nicholas Trey. With additional production, it ends up on In Moonlight as sparkling and transportive. Given Tillery's prolific history, it's no surprise that he's so adept at songcraft, but as a debut EP, In Moonlight is impressive nonetheless. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi