The Luyas/Twin Sister Split 7" review

Mellow, dream pop band Twin Sister and their close friends The Luyas have released a double A-side single in celebration of Record Store Day this past Saturday.  The split single features two brand new tracks, "Meet the Frownies" by Twin Sister and "When I Am a Woman" by The Luyas.

"Meet the Frownies" was originally recorded by Twin Sister in conjunction with the nonprofit Weathervane Music for their Shaking Through series.  It is what you'd expect for a Twin Sister song, in that it is a slow burning, contemplative little number.  The lyrics start with "Smoking weed with you / in the leaves, in the fall / in the yard with your dog, till the winter came".  It may sound like shoddy journalism, but to be completely honest, that's all you really need to know about this track.  It is a fuzzy, hazy tune that was reportedly written and recorded in under twelve hours, and I wouldn't be surprised if for the majority of those twelve hours the band was smoking weed themselves.

Canadian band The Luyas contribute the track "When I Am a Woman", and it is a trippy, unearthly song that resonates with you.  Jessie Stein's delicate, innocent vocals are surrounded by the swirling horns and jangly guitar before being shot off into the stratosphere with the haunting presence of the electronic organ.  It is a truly hypnotic track that is a good indication of things to come.

The two songs present on this split 7" single compliment each other well, and it is a great introduction to a couple of bands that should be on your radar, if they aren't already.  The chances of you scoring a physical copy of this 7" are pretty slim, so below you will find a link to download the Twin Sister track, free of charge. Enjoy.


The Luyas | Too Beautiful To Work from A Story Told Well on Vimeo.

Radiohead - Supercollider/The Butcher 12" review

Radiohead will be releasing their highly anticipated post-The King of Limbs material in a few short hours to Record Store Day-ready shops around the globe (except for the United States for some reason).  In an interview with Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien, BBC 6 has unveiled that "Supercollider" and "The Butcher" are the last remnants of the recording sessions that birthed The King of Limbs.  This of course meaning that we will not see a The King of Limbs part 2, like we did with their previous effort, In Rainbows.  Oh well.

"Supercollider" is a seven-minute piece of swirling and somewhat flighty pop music.  Echoing synths plink throughout the entire song, building gradually to a crescendo while serving to frame Thom Yorke's voice in a ghostly aura.  It is a moody song that relies on the ambiance it creates to carry you through to the end.  It isn't exactly the kind of track that you'll be yearning to spin over and over again, but it is an engaging and ethereal piece of work.

"The Butcher" is a graphic and evocative song that is a brooding and somewhat creepy tune.  Much in the same way "Supercollider" works, "The Butcher" creates an atmosphere, however this one is jarring.  The overlaying percussion is unnerving, giving the entire song a menacing and ominous quality.  Coupled with Yorke's hushed vocals, "The Butcher" has a disquieting undercurrent that runs throughout the entire length of the song.

Both tracks are heavily atmospheric, and neither rely on gimmicks or hooks to draw you in.  Instead, "Supercollider" and "The Butcher" showcase Radiohead creating nuanced arrangements that immerse you into their world of scary teddy bears, political exacerbation and decompression sickness.

Radiohead "Supercollider + The Butcher" by ianbhoy

Beach Fossils & Wild Nothing - Gruesome Flowers: A Tribute to The Wake review

I'll just come out and say it.  I have never heard a song by 80s band The Wake in my life.  Regardless, this Record Store Day sees Captured Tracks labelmates Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils release a split 7" in which they cover two supposed classics from the influential Scottish post-punk band.

Perpetually sleepy Brooklynites Beach Fossils tackle the song "Plastic Flowers".  It is a jangly guitar driven tune that sounds as if you were listening to it through the telephone.  it is all very dreamy, which is not much of a stretch for Beach Fossils and they don't do much to deviate from the original version.  The song is charming enough, however once it gets past the two minute mark it starts becoming a little stale.  It simply fails to go anywhere, and doesn't deliver anything new in the latter half of the four minute run time.  Overall, "Plastic Flowers" is a blissful little lo-fi number that tends to overstay its welcome.  Listening to the same riff and lyrics over and over again is about as entertaining as watching someone jog in place while waiting to cross the street in order to keep their heart rate up.

One-man band Wild Nothing covers "Gruesome Castle", and it is about as riveting as sitting through a lecture on statistical analysis.  Jack Tatum's monotone voice wades through the reverb soaked arrangement in such a listless fashion that the song seems almost an afterthought to the idea of covering such a beloved piece of pop music nostalgia.  Don't get me wrong, there was a lot to like on Wild Nothing's debut album, but this cover is just boring.  While it retains the day-dreamy quality that has become Wild Nothing's signature, it lacks any sort of hook to engage the listener, although I guess that is partly the fault of the source material.

In summation, this 7" split release is interesting because, while it is a perfectly justifiable purchase, it really just made me want to go and check out The Wake.



Wild Nothing - Gruesome Castle by sleeptalkr

buy:
Beach Fossils & Wild Nothing Gruesome Flowers: A Tribute to The Wake