My Last Lemon Twigs Post...For Now

 

 

You don't have to be Nietzsche to figure out I am a fan of The Lemon Twigs. I have been singing their praises since that first late night T.V. appearance several years ago when they were still teenagers.  Some of you heard what I heard. Many of you did not. And in listening back to those first three records, I can understand how much of it was a bit hard to swallow. Still, it was the Twigs audacity that kept me listening. I heard musical genius underneath the insanity. Some of my favorite artists of all time took chances and occasionally fell on their asses.

But last year's "Everything Harmony" was a life changer, both literally and figuratively. Even the D'Addario Brothers themselves called some of their early work "naive." But on "Everything Harmony," it seems that Brian and Michael grew up, offering a collection of stunning folk pop that evoked the best in that field, with melodies and harmonies rivaling greats like Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas & The Papas. It was a critical success, as well.

Now, a year plus later, the previews from the new album have been nothing less than brilliant and it seems more people have finally gotten on board. The Lemon Twigs have taken that maturity and plugged it in, with pop candy that references everyone from the Raspberries and The Beach Boys, to The Byrds, The Who and their hero (and mine) Todd Rundgren.

"A Dream Is All I Know" is out today. I've been listening to it since Wednesday and I will listen to it some more, today, tomorrow and the day after that.

The band did not forget to leave some good stuff in the bag. With the exception of "Sweet Vibration," a fine but somewhat "twee even for the Twigs" pop concoction that just misses the mark and the closer, the Raspberries-ish "Rock On," that just doesn't rock enough, "A Dream Is All I Know" is one brilliant gem after another. Listening to it felt like I was riding in my father's 1968 Pontiac Catalina, with the AM radio dial tuned to the summer countdown.

"Peppermint Roses" finds the brothers hitting their "Nuggets" boxed set, and the Sean Ono Lennon collaboration, "In The Eyes Of The Girl," is in a word, stunning. 

Most of what I read so far about this new record has been the same, with many already calling it the "Record Of The Year." It's only May, but I can't imagine a better collection of hooks, melodies and harmony coming along and knocking this down a peg.

 

 
And in case you missed it, check out this Zapruder-like footage of the Twigs covering "Good Vibrations." Yeah, it's B+ quality, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the A+ performance.