April 25, 2025
The Tisburys/for PhillyVoice
The Tisburys are looking to perfect a mix of Philadelphia and Jersey Shore rock 'n' roll sounds.
As the weather heats up across the Delaware Valley, people daydream of hitting the Jersey Shore, soaking up the sun and maybe listening to some music evocative of those vibes, too.
An album that fits that bill, ready for a beach day or an afternoon on the patio, is the newest record from Philadelphia indie rock band The Tisburys, entitled "A Still Life Revisited," which was released on Friday.
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"A Still Life Revisited" pays tribute to modern-day Philly legends like Kurt Vile as much as it does a Jersey Shore godfather like Bruce Springsteen. The Tisburys' latest effort is thematically about looking back as much as it aurally screams to chill out and enjoy the moment. These are big-hearted songs to sing along to.
Songwriter and band leader Tyler Asay calls "A Still Life Revisited" a "darker nostalgia" about family history.
"I turned 30 and got married, and you're looking at your life and thinking you're the age your parents were when they had me," Asay told to PhillyVoice about the album. "It's about reckoning with that and being okay with it."
That's present on standout songs, like the title track and "Elephant Hotel," with its refrain that references Margate's landmark Lucy the Elephant – the new album's cover art also features a painting of the 65-foot-tall structure. But it's not all doom and gloom – the music, itself, contrasts those lyrical elements.
Margate's Lucy the Elepant is prominent on the cover art of the Tisburys' latest record, 'A Still Life Revisited.“
Asay and The Tisburys lead guitarist John Domenico originally are from Scranton and started playing music together in high school. After attending different colleges, they reconnected in Philadelphia in 2016 and teamed up with keyboardist Jason McGovern, drummer Dan Nazario and bassist Ben Cardine.
Describing the new album's sonic palette, Asay said "It's Jersey Shore. It's the East Coast. The Tisburys are a part of that lineage. Springsteen! It's kind of the blue collar grit meets the big chords and the folk songwriting."
On Friday, The Tisburys play with Neon Trees in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony, the iconic Springsteen haunt. For a more Philly flair, The Tisburys will perform at Milkboy on June 7, a concert presented by radio station WXPN.
The band dropped a video for album-opening track "By a Landslide" this week, too:
"A Still Life Revisited" can be streaming on Spotify (or by using the player embed below) and purchased digitally – or on CD or vinyl – on Bandcamp.
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