The Twilight Sad

Created over a two-year period of reclusion in the studio, The Twilight Sad’s new release Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is an experience in immersion. With a thick sound full of distorted guitar, toy keyboards, old music from film tape loops, computer games, and other noise, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. In an interview with Marcus Kagler in the indie rock mag Under the Radar, Guitarist Andy MacFarlane describes their song writing technique as “starting off with a basic kind of song and adding loads of layers. Adding on as much stuff as possible to give it different colors.” Combine that with James Graham’s thick Scottish brogue and you have a unique sound that’s not just your typical noise rock.

It’s easy to hear why Fatcat Records signed the fledging band after they had only performed live together twice. When the music works, it really works. “That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy” combines a thick, lush sound with poetic vocals. Graham has a simple singing style rendered quite spare when in competition with the sharp drum beat, accordion sounds, and steady guitar hum in the background. Freely admitting to Kagler that he had never written lyrics before starting on Fourteen Autumns, there is a humble, confessional feel to the words, as if Graham isn’t so much creating a melody but emoting. “I’m fourteen, and you know that I’m looking the wrong way. A strong father figure with a heart of gold. A loving mother. They’re standing outside and they’re looking in.” Punctuated throughout this story is the refrain “the kids are on fire in the bedroom,” with Graham’s voice moving from an almost whisper to cracking with emotion. And the music peaks and swells with him, serving to heighten the emotion embedded in the lyrics.

Describing the personal quality to the lyrics, Graham says, “They’re all quite personal songs… it’s just one of those things where I know what they are about but I have no real perception of them, if that makes sense. Other people can make up their minds about what the songs are about.” Listening to Graham sing is like being his therapist or confessor, with the wall of sound around him as a musical portrait of his subconscious. Many of the tracks, like “That Summer,” have disturbing, repetitive refrains that seem to spontaneously pop out like a form of tourettes. In “Talking With Fireworks/Here It Never Snowed,” Graham repeatedly sings “with a knife in your chest” after lyrics like “Did your fear no’ grow when you see that you’re all mine.”

At times, however, this organic, confessional singing style simply blends into the plethora of instruments and effects. While the lyrics themselves are often very powerful, the majority of the songs lack a strong melody, feeling more like stream of consciousness set to music rather than actual songs. Rumored to play 30-minute songs in their live shows, I can see how The Twilight Sad would be amazing in person. On record, however, their sound can border on being claustrophobic. Try listening to a few songs at a time at first. Like with most things, it’s often better to test the waters before diving straight into the deep end.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.