Review: Mr Twin Sister - "Mr Twin Sister" (Infinite Best / Twin Group, 2014)

I love synth pop.

There's something special about a particular cheesiness carried by a three-note synthesizer riff that I love and appreciate deeply.

I argue that it's best when a synth-pop artist doesn't take his or herself too seriously. That's when the synthesizer truly shines. Musicians and audiences alike generally accept that the synthesizer keyboard does not require much musical training to conquer. In fact, knowledge of the equipment itself might be more useful. A keyboardist might only play one or two notes before altering those sounds in different ways using digital (or analog if you're a snob) trickery. Electro-pop legends Devo mastered this use of the synthesizer, making fools of themselves all too intentionally.

In the shadow of Devo, Mr Twin Sister, formerly known as Twin Sister, takes the listener on a 37-minute electrified dream cruise through the late 80's. Synths in all, this record is driven throughout by chunky synthetic bass lines, vocoders, vicious female vocals and songs about one-night-stands, and the occasional Kenny G-style sax solo. This is in stark contrast to the Long Island quintet's debut LP In Heaven (Domino, 2011), which was recorded with a more traditional dreampop style: catchy, innocuous pop songs delivered by full-band instrumentation (drums, guitar, etc.). My favorite song is this one. Where you might have heard In Heaven spun in a Brooklyn café or in your local Banana Republic, you might hear Mr Twin Sister at that boutique fashion outlet where you're consistently ignored by the sales associate.

The rude synth arpeggios under lead singer Andrea Estella's false French accent give the record a sexy Euro-pop feel. Dancing is mandatory. Lyrics like "Now that I've had two or three, I can feel a little free" or "I've got all the drinks that I can handle / Stop telling me so much about yourself" work to establish a whimsical dance club scene early on. The listener may forget about these lyrics and enjoy the vibrations instead. There's no wonder Pitchfork describes it as "strictly nocturnal." While these lyrics might lack in substance (they're probably supposed to), the music is brilliant. The band does an excellent job of capturing the salient sounds of 80's dance pop without sounding too dated. The saxophones and orchestral embellishments are a refreshing contrast to the electronic rhythm section that is truly nostalgic of Jackson-era pop. All in all, although I miss their dreampop days, this new record does it right.

Mr Twin Sister's Mr Twin Sister hits record store shelves today.

Preview "In the House of Yes" below via Soundcloud.

Review: Hiss Golden Messenger - "Lateness of Dancers" (Merge, 2014)

It only took this record one listen before it earned a top spot on my personal list of favorites from this year: Hiss Golden Messenger's Lateness of Dancers sets the pace for alt-country done right. Without delay, track one takes the listener for a stroll over an easy two-chord progression–an acoustic guitar and Hammond organ assume the rhythm, and modest lead guitar and female harmonies work to top off the high end, all while a straightforward country beat and an electric bassline found the whole thing. The hook lyrics here are simple and optimistic enough to make the listener forget about anything: "She was beautiful / It was circumstance / Watch the boat on the water learn to dance."

Somehow the whole aesthetic of Lateness of Dancers pertains to the soon-to-be-changing season: the folk, country, and soulful tones; lyrics about harvest and whiskey; bare trees resting in fog under a rainbow (pictured on the album art), and the album was even recorded around this time last year under a tin-roof barn near Hillsborough, North Carolina.

The album's title alludes to a short story written by 20th century American novelist Eudora Welty.

The duo is fronted by music industry veteran M.C Taylor, whose vocals you might recognize from his work with The Court & Spark (track one mentioned above was actually originally recorded by this project and featured on the soundtrack belonging to the 2004 film Baptists at Our Barbeque). Scott Hirsch is his musical counterpart, currently and historically: Hirsch also participated in The Court & Spark, and before then he joined Taylor in a hardcore band called Ex-Ignota. The rest of the band featured on Lateness of Dancers is the product of collaboration with Phil and Brad Cook of Megafaun, Nashville guitarist William Tyler, and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig of Mountain Man who is the person responsible for the beautiful backing vocals across the record. 

Taylor's voice makes me nostalgic for Neil Young's drug days while the lyrical content and instrumentation directly reminds me of Jason Molina's Songs: Ohia. These songs are generally electric guitar, pedal steel, and Rhoads keyboard heavy. I couldn't ask for better instrumentation.

The Durham duo releases their fifth full-length studio album (and Merge records debut) today.

Listen to "Saturday's Song" below via Soundcloud.