Written by Charlie Davis
Slow – Twin Shadow (Free Download / Buy)
Twin Shadow’s (@thetwinshadow) debut album Forget has been on my music rotation since it was released this past Fall. No surprisingly, the band has received not only excellent reviews from fans, but critics as well, allowing them to travel to Europe several times, tour with The Pains of Being Your at Heart, and make their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this month. It was when I saw their live set on Late Night that I was reminded of just how fantastic Twin Shadow is.
Looking quite hair-tastic on Fallon, Lewis and company performed “Castles in the snow” and “I Can’t Wait,” the latter as a web exclusive. Perhaps any other indie rock front man would look ironic with a pompadour and mustache, but George Lewis is able to pull it off. The sincerity of the group is apparent, not to mention that the band is musically tight, fun to watch, and cute as hell.
It’s not surprising that Forget has been so successful. Sure, the record is easily traceable to 80′s new wave, but it far exceeds any single influence. Producer Chris Taylor, of Grizzly Bear, shows his vast array of talents as a music producer/multi-instrumentalist, blending countless melodies and percussion parts to the perfect balance; the seamless mix of Forget is not just ambitious, it is incurable. Expect to hear more hit records with Taylor’s producing credit in the future.
In an era of stellar laptop recordings and declining production costs, it’s a surprising how many musicians make great music without strong vocals or how many singer/songwriters have a great voice but bland taste in musical accompaniment. Twin Shadow has the perfect blend of both elements. George Lewis Jr. evokes the mystique of Prince and solemn croon of Morissey with striking results. His heart wrenching lyrics perfectly weave in and out of the somber synths. Listening to this record gives me chills and takes me back to my lovesick adolescence.
The band will be touring all summer long, including US dates with Florence and the Machine, multiple European dates, and several summer festivals: Pitchfork, Bonaroo, and Primavera Sound, to name a few.
^ with Florence and the Machine
06/09 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
06/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre ^
06/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre ^
06/18 – Toronto, ON – NXNE
06/20 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier ^
06/23 – Boston, MA – Band of America Pavilion ^
06/24 – New York, NY – Central Park Summer Stage ^
06/25 – Calgary, AB – Sled Island Music Festival
06/28 – Vancouver, BC – Jazz Festival
07/16 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Festival
07/30 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Festival
09/09 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Festival
09/17 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
