Album Review: Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad -'Here, it Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.' (Fat Cat)

Last year, The Twilight Sad's debut LP Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters indicated that here was a band from Glasgow who built upon their city's heritage and then blasted it away. Whilst they work on the follow-up, they have issued this six track mini-LP.

Although they view it as self-contained release, given that four of the tracks appeared on their debut, it will be viewed as a companion piece by many. But four of the tracks are re-workings (and the re-examining of them suggests that's a more appropriate word to use than re-recording, which infers their was something wrong with the original. Which blatantly there wasn't). There are also two new tracks here which make the price of admission worthwhile alone, a cover of Daniel Johnston's 'Some Things Last A Long Time' which closes the record, and the title track.

James Graham's vocals not only sound like they are sung from the heart, it's also refreshing to see that Scottish bands increasingly have the confidence to sing in their own accents (I wonder if Alex Salmond will take the credit for that,too?) Listening to this, I also hear more of the scottish folk influence coming through than I did on the debut.

It's no bad thing to view this as a companion release to the debut, rather it indicates just how much promise this band have -and indeed, deliver. Don't rush the sophomore, fellas, on this evidence, take all the time you need.

****

Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did is released by Big Cat on June 9.

Twilight Sad -'And She Would Darken The Memory (Original Version).' mp3

Twilight Sad - 'Walking For Two Hours (Original Version).' mp3

Twilight Sad MySpace