For a second or two, the new video for Tyler Ballgame's new single is a bit silly. The grins, the Seventies clothes, and the sunshine pop aesthetic seem just too much to be taken seriously. And then Tyler sings and you realize you are hearing something extraordinary.
"I Believe in Love" is wonderfully emotive. Tyler favors a vocal style which seems as vulnerable as Roy Orbison singing a ballad, and as musically astute as Nilsson at his best. This song sways and rambles, with Tyler laying it all out. It's such a heartfelt, genuine performance that it is a bit staggering. It also helps that Tyler's been blessed with a beautiful voice. Dig this and get ready for the debut album in January. Tyler is working with Jonathan Rado whose credits include Foxygen, The Lemon Twigs, and Tchotchke, so we here are excited about this record in a big way.
"I Believe in Love" by Tyler Ballgame is out now. The debut album, For The First Time, Again, will be out in January on Rough Trade.
[Photo: El Hardwick]