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For those of you just meeting Twerps, you’d be surprised at the evolution of their sound. When we first heard them via the folks at Chapter Music, they were a pretty basic lo-fi group, spinning tape loops and coming off a bit lackadaisical on songs like “Good Advice.” On their self-titled record, you’ll get a much more focused group bringing it all home.
“Dreamin” begins Twerps, giving you cascading guitar chords that cut through the careful jangle-pop, even tossing in some backing harmonies from female member Julia MacFarlane. It’s as tight as the band has sounded since they were introduced, and such songs only solidify their presence in our musical world. But, you’re still going to find that carefree spirit within this album.
On “Don’t Be Surprised” Marty Frawley just tosses his lyrics atop a much slower paced jingle, sort of like you’d expect Dan Treacy of Television Personalities to do, that is until mid-track where they just kick it off with this beautiful bit of noisy pop, only to return to their melodious bit of fun. Twerps use a similar tactic on what is not only the record’s best song, but perhaps one of the top songs of the year, “Who Are You.” It embodies everything magical in a song: catchy bit of guitar playing, a cool bit of vocal delivery and relatable lyrics. When Frawley goes into his “who are you/to be actin the way that you do,” it’s all perfectly fitting, and it leads up to the playful “we’ll get drunk/we’ll get stoned/we’ll get high/we’ll get drunk” line that accompanies each chorus. Simply put, there aren’t many songs from this year better than this.
One of the best things about this entire record is that Twerps simply keep you interested, going places you can easily see, but didn’t necessarily expect from the group. “Jam Song” sort of fills the middle of the record with a rambling bit of ballroom stomp, always keeping their groove. Or, you could skip a few ahead and find yourself at the simple spoken-word track, “Bring Me Down,” which is joined by a polite little bit of guitar strumming. There’s pretty much moments for every type of listener out there, be it jangling pop moments like “Dreamin,” or a more-subdued Wavves feel like the closer “Coast to Coast.” It all fits in with the band’s aesthetic, and it never seems to grow stale.
Twerps have been around for some time now, but this self-titled record is going to be one of the dates that you’ll want to remember, as a band that puts it together this well is very rare. They’ve got hooks, they’ve got creativity and they even have a bit of attitude (or essence), all making Twerps one hell of a ride. Mark my word, everyone is going to be talking about this group and this record for some time to come.
Currently you can listen to the whole album HERE. Or jam the opener below.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The_Twerps_-_Dreamin.mp3]
Download: Twerps – Dreamin [MP3]
I chased Wye Oak around at SxSW only to be thwarted by flu fatigue and a late cancellation at a day party, but to get to see them play at The Parish more than makes up for it. Add to that, it was my birthday. Add to that, I get to bring my camera to share pics with you.
