I’m pretty obsessed with Tyler Ballgame right now. I’m always a sucker for a sob story, but not always a sob story sung by a falsetto voice.
I first saw Tyler on Later. With so little live music available on the telly these days, Later has become something of saviour when showcasing old and new.
And Tyler is a bit of both.
He makes no secret in drawing upon Roy Orbison in style. Plus there’s some low key funk riffs going off, bringing it all back up to date.
A little online digging, and Tyler Ballgame is an alter ego for Tyler Perry. He carries it well, self-referencing the character in his own songs.
Got a New Car is the stand out song so far. The vocals are high up on the scale, and so is the light touch Americana backing band.
He’s a man not afraid to refer back to the old craft of songwriting; he’s a man not afraid to to wear double denim - or even triple on a good day.
Signed to Rough Trade in the UK, there’s an album out soon-ish. I cant find a release date.