The Twilight Sad - It Won/t Be Like This All The Time (Rock Action, 2019)

The Twilight Sad
It Won/t Be Like This All The Time
Rock Action
2019

Rating: 8 sticky green tabs out of 10

I’ve legitimately been meaning to or actively trying to write about this newest Twilight Sad album “It Won/t Be Like This All The Time” for two months now, and I’ve gotten nowhere.  What’s worse, I have no idea why – it’s a very good record but it’s not like it’s some transcendent piece of art that defies words.  It’s probably my favorite release by the Scottish band since their debut full-length “Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters,” and may well be one of my favorites at the end of 2019, but ultimately it’s only slightly better than the bulk of their consistently great catalogue.  There is decidedly more keyboards/electronics here than you typically get on one of their releases – it often verges into “Disintegration” era Cure* territory, with the most obvious difference being singer James Graham’s insanely thick Scottish accent (which has never stopped being one of the most delightful aspects of this band, FYI).  I think of the Twilight Sad as being a fairly morose/downer band, but there is a tinge of brightness to the songs of “It Won/t Be Like This All The Time” that almost push it into the vibe of a spring/summer record instead of something that sounds like the soundtrack to being hunkered down under blankets in a blizzard. 

*I read after writing the bulk of this review that the Cure’s Robert Smith actually had a hand in helping the Twilight Sad make this record, so duh.  Also, I listen to a shitload of the Cure so there is no wonder I made this connection, even if subconsciously.  More bands should probably get Robert Smith into the studio, because the world would be a better place if more bands sounded like the Cure. 

The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave (Fat Cat, 2014)

The Twilight Sad
Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
Fat Cat
2014

Rating: 7 invisible nets out of 10

Is it weird that a big part of the reason I like the Twilight Sad so much is because the singer's Scottish accent is as strong as it is even when he's singing?  The same was true with Arab Strap.  No idea why I find that so fascinating and/or appealing, but I do.  I would be hard pressed to spot many differences between all of the records these cats have put out, but I do know pretty much every time I hear their take on morose, dynamic indie pop I always enjoy it, or as much as you can enjoy music that feels so depressing.  Somehow they actually sound like the weather of Northern Britain, if that makes sense.  It probably doesn't.  This record does sound a little more "eighties" for a lack of a more succinct term, and not nearly as heavy on the quiet/loud/quiet crutch as their earlier material.  Are they just maturing as song writers?  I dunno, but it still sounds good, and it's not all that different really.  I doubt any long-time fans heard this and got mad.       

The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know (Fat Cat, 2012)

The Twilight Sad

No One Can Ever Know

Fat Cat

2012

Rating: 6 cheddar combos out of 10

I find I have a strange relationship with The Twilight Sad...I like their music and have listened to pretty much all of their releases, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to get excited by them.  They might actually be too dour and depressing for my tastes, if that's possible.  Their music is certainly well crafted and on paper should be something I get worked up over.  This particular album is a little less sweeping and emotional than their previous material, taking a more even keeled approach and never getting too caught up in that soft/loud/soft dynamic that Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky made so popular and Twilight Sad leaned on heavily in the past. Now they feel like a modern version of a Factory band or something in that neighborhood - driving, almost electronic beats and lots of keyboards and synths.  They do this new sound fine, but I find myself no less interested this time around than last time despite the changes. 

I still love singer James Graham's vocals though, the accent as heavy as syrup.  I just wish I could get wound up over the whole package a little more. 

The Twilight Sad Sick 7'' (FatCat, 2011)

The Twilight Sad

Sick 7''

FatCat

2011

Rating: 6 vegetarian haggis out of 10

The write-up on the label website says "Freshly inspired by the likes of Magazine, Caberet Voltaire, Fad Gadget, PiL and Can, a sound has developed that is reminiscent of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails or The Cure in their imperial phases."  I dunno, it sounds like regular ol' Twilight Sad to these untrained ears. Which is totally fine with me, for the record.  

This seven inch has "Sick" on the front side and "Untitled #67 (Demo)" on the back, and apparently both of these songs are also going to be on their forthcoming full-length (the b-side in non-demo form I'd wager), so I can't imagine anyone but the most die-hard of fans are going to spring for this release.  Again, not that the songs are bad, just that the sort of person to buy a seven inch is also going to buy the record, and this doesn't offer a lot of added value.  But I am looking forward to the full length after hearing this.