Expensive Air by Trevor James Tillery
'Expensive Air' is the follow-up to 'I Dreamt You Disappeared', Trevor James Tillery’s second full-length album. Considered a sibling record due to their shared DNA and consecutive creation, these two works contrast each other both sonically and thematically. While 'I Dreamt You Disappeared' is lush, string-laden and heavily introspective, 'Expensive Air' is lyrically expansive, looking outward to social structures and cultural phenomena, yet conversely more stripped-back in it’s production, centering around a more subdued band-like arrangement with only guitars, bass, drums, and subtle synth flourishes.
Moving away from the electronic textures of his past work, Tillery challenged himself to focus on the core of songwriting, experimenting with structure, diving deeper into lyrics and themes, and stretching each song to its full potential within the writing process while keeping the arrangements minimal.
The album opens with “Little Gods,” which immediately entrances the listener with its unpredictable chord progressions and meandering structure. Tillery laments: “And if our world collapses / fire, ash, and violence / please, bring it all down on me.” Songs like “Sunlight Ultra,” “I Need You to Rain,” and “Edge of the Continent” explore environmental destruction and societal corruption, sonically framed by driving acoustics and syrupy melodies. Meanwhile, “Dropped Dead” delivers the record’s most incisive moment. Over woozy, fuzzed-out guitars, Tillery calls out religious hypocrites: “A supernatural idol / the golden calf at your door / adore.”
On the quieter side, tracks like “While the House is Sleeping,” “You Dream in Landscapes,” and the eerily timely “Terrarium” reveal a more intimate and reflective tone. The album closes with the bittersweet “Wishcasting,” where Tillery offers a heartfelt send-off to his fellow queer community facing demonization: “I wish that god would tell us / we won’t rot in hell / so we can move on / yeah, let’s get over it.”
With Expensive Air, Trevor James Tillery crafts an urgent, poignant response to a world in turmoil—one desperately in need of hope and change.
Tracklist
| 1. | Little Gods | 2:08 |
| 2. | Sunlight Ultra | 3:43 |
| 3. | I Need You to Rain | 2:35 |
| 4. | You Dream in Landscapes | 3:17 |
| 5. | Near / Far | 2:29 |
| 6. | Expensive Air | 3:23 |
| 7. | The World Has Not Caught Up With You Yet | 3:47 |
| 8. | Dropped Dead | 3:58 |
| 9. | While the House is Sleeping | 3:17 |
| 10. | Edge of the Continent | 2:58 |
| 11. | Symbol Space | 1:15 |
| 12. | Terrarium | 3:17 |
| 13. | Wishcasting | 3:57 |
Credits
All songs written by Trevor James Tillery
Produced / engineered by Trevor James Tillery + Michael Kelley
Mixed by Graham Bechler, Michael Kelley + Trevor James Tillery
Mastered by Joe Hutchinson
Album cover by TV Beaches
Cassette layout by Trevor James Tillery
Photography by Nick DuPlessis + Michael Kelley
Vocals, guitars, synthesizers by Trevor James Tillery
Bass guitar, percussion, additional electric guitar + additional synthesizers, BGV's on "Near / Far," + drums on "Little Gods" by Michael Kelley
Drums on "Sunlight Ultra," "Near / Far," "The World Has Not Caught Up With You Yet," + "Terrarium" by Nick Tillery
Drums on "I Need You to Rain," "Dropped Dead," "While the House is Sleeping," "Edge of the Continent," + "Wishcasting" by Nick DuPlessis
Shaker on "Expensive Air" by Graham Bechler
