Having created soundscapes for more than two decades, TiLT 360 is back with a track that showcases why they have managed to stand the test of time. "Last String," the lead single from their upcoming EP "It Grows," is nothing short of another leap for the Youngstown-based act. It is a piece of their soul, bared and laid out for all to hear.
"Last String" unravels as a confession. Singer Billy Smaltz, whose lyrics have always been rooted in his struggles with addiction and personal strife, delivers a fragile yet fierce performance. His voice has a weathered honesty to it, one that can only be gained through experience. Combine that with the snappy but expressive rhythms of drummer Heather Jurina and the bassist Drew Salzano, and it's a track that seizes with emotional urgency and refuses to loosen its hold on melody. The guitar playing of Jason Miller adds a dimension of grit and texture, running through the song like a scar that has healed but won't disappear. The instrumentation grows and warps, matching the tension in the lyrics, which are stuck somewhere between breaking up and holding onto the last string that keeps them from falling through. It's a touching metaphor, and it lingers long after the last chord is sounded.
"Last String" sounds like some conflation of TiLT 360's history, a band founded in 1999, but not afraid to take on some of the weightier challenges of contemporary life as they move their craft along. It fits in nicely with the EP's other journeys, exploring innocence, heartache, and emotional weariness, and yet it works seamlessly as a signature anthem for this chapter in their story.
Recorded at home in Youngstown, OH, and at Harrisburg, PA, "It Grows" is the perfect title for the sprawling monster-ballad collection. The songs dig back into the past while reaching out for something new, offering listeners both the sensation of lived scars and the catharsis of release. "Last String," especially, encapsulates that duality perfectly. It aches, but it also breathes.