Saturday 29 November 2014

Mr Twin Sister



With an odd name like Mr Twin Sister (They used to just be called Twin Sister but had to revise), you can expect something a little arcane..

The impassably cool 5 piece are from Long Island , and boy have they crafted a record with some good night groove, perfectly balancing beach-certified moments such as the ambient Blush alongside tracks that borderline house records from Detroit circa 1990 onwards - as evidenced In The House of Yes. With it's subtle disco strings, floor welcoming beat and moody bassline this could well be a keeper.

Opener Sensitive has a hint of Sade with  twinkling keys, brushed percussion and the lyrics 'Romantic Dreaming' topside. After Sade, we go to Rah Band who had a hit with Messages In The Stars in 1983, which could well be the influence for Rude Boy. The pull was so strong that I actually checked with one of the band but they hadn't heard of Rah Band, so maybe a bit of musical osmosis here!

There's a Berlin nightclub moment on Out of The Dark which is a little more DFA but it gives vocalist Andrea Estella another chance to hold everything together with perfect quasi robotic information delivery. The pace picks up even further by Twelve Angels which edges the album closer towards techno and Karl Hyde territory but that intensity they so easily gear up to, is effortlessly let go on the ethereal Medford, which acts as a short interlude before a lovely album closer in 'Crime Scene'.

A beguiling and worthy follow up to 2011's In Heaven, this should appeal to fans of Nite Jewel, Mazzy Star, Gardens & Villa, Rah Band and Cocteau Twins.

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