Sunflower Bean - Twentytwo In Blue

Sunflower Bean’s debut album Human Ceremony was unveiled to the world in 2016 with no little hype and fanfare.

It came with a mission of intent from the band itself. Simply put, it was an act of rebellion against the anti-rock and roll of the New York scene. It was a strong effort for a debut but, perhaps owing to the band forming only three years previously, suffered most from being full of potential, and nothing is more frustrating than when potential is not fulfilled.

There are absolutely no worries here on that score; Twentytwo In Blue is a significant leap forward. Produced by Jacob Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, a substantial amount of meat has been added to the bones of their sound. It comes out of the traps strongly, opener Burn It wouldn’t sound out of place on a 70s edition of Top Of The Pops 2 so indebted is it to glam rock. Second single ‘Crisis Fest’, also cut from Bolan-esque hues, is a rallying call to arms to a disenfranchised generation; “If you keep us down you know that we can shout”. It’s a modern day ‘Children Of The Revolution’ and acts as a perfect accompaniment to these tumultuous political times. In fact, the entire album sounds like a glam act covering Sunflower Bean. This is a very good thing.

The theme of the album, as alluded to by the title, is one of finding your place in the world and in turn becoming more aware of how it works. Lead single ‘I Was A Fool’, released late last year, is a glistening duet between singer (and bassist) Julia Cumming and guitarist Nick Kivlen which eulogises about the pros and cons of all-consuming love.

All of the band have now turned twenty-two (see what they did there?) so, naturally, love is a subject matter the album keeps coming back to. The title-track sounds like it could accompany the compulsory montage in a romantic film (indeed the whole record often has a cinematic feel), while Cumming’s tender vocals could be mistaken for First Aid Kit. Only A Moment is an ethereal, waltz-like ballad, ‘Any Way You Like’ supplemented by a mini orchestra, adding to its drama.

It’s not all sentiment; ‘Human For’ breaks things up and gives the musicians the chance to flex their muscles, the three-piece winding around each other to create an intense burst of proficient musicianship, while Sinking Sands has a great outro which highlights Kivlen’s axeman-ship.

The album ends on both an optimistic and wistful note. Despite its title, ‘Oh No, Bye Bye’ offers hope for whatever our uncertain futures may hold; Kivlen takes lead vocals as the male protagonist in the story with Cummings cooing, “At least we would have each other, and I think it would be alright”.

The way the band structure their songs hasn’t particularly changed from Human Ceremony, but their sound has evolved from psyche-sodden missives to something more wholesome. A fine piece of work.

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Face To Face)

It’s probably safe to say that most artists would like to go back and revise some elements of their output.

Some would argue that albums and songs are moments in time and as such should be left untouched to be reviewed for posterity, the counter argument being that it is the artists’ prerogative to change their work as they see fit, and that it is in their very nature to never be satisfied (ask George Lucas).

William Toledo, Car Seat Headrest to you and me, is clearly an advocate of the former attitude.

Originally recorded in 2011, Car Seat Headrest’s sixth album Twin Fantasy was Toledo’s most autobiographical work, and garnered quite a cult following upon its original release. At the time he did not have a band, and so the album was recorded on only a laptop microphone, the native of Leesburg playing every instrument himself. Now he has the band and the budget, the re-recording and reworking of the album has been a passion project for some time – an example of his dedication to the cause being Toledo spending eight months on mixing just to get the drums right.

The very nature of a passion project does entail some very personal and therefore indulgent whims, and this is true of Twin Fantasy. Two of the ten tracks clock in at double figures and are truly epic, it never being quite clear which way the songs are going to go, particularly on ‘Beach Life-In-Death’ which, when it is in danger of resting on its laurels, veers off into a completely different beat or change of instrumentation.

It’s surprising to learn how much effort and time went into the album as it sounds impressively lo-fi and ramshackle, as well as being full of spirit. Toledo doesn’t have the strongest singing voice (at one stage he even pleads to have Frank Ocean’s), and at points you could be forgiven for thinking that you were listening to The Strokes, so much does he sound like Julian Casablancas, this especially true on ‘Cute Thing’, where the guitar and drums collide gloriously over his East Coast drawl. Indeed, the album could only have been made in America; at some points it oozes Ryan Adams’ melancholic drama, at others the Smashing Pumpkins’ theatrical desperation, all wrapped up in college/slacker rock.

Lyrically, Twin Fantasy is structured around a concept, albeit that concept being the universal truths of the workings of a romantic relationship. It’s only ever divulged from one perspective, and as such can sometimes seem like a stream of consciousness, but this only adds to the intimate nature of the album.

For those it speaks to, Twin Fantasy will continue to be a treasure held close to the heart, while the rest of us can appreciate the dedication and respect the work that has gone into the making of this unique experiment.