The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know

As I mentioned in my review of the recent live show in Colonial Williamsburg, I remain ambivalent at the idea of being a man (sic) my age who is as into a record called No One Can Ever Know from a band called The Twilight Sad. And while I'm self-flagellating: I love the cover, it doesn't really help. My raft of issues aside, I've been a pretty big TTS fan for a while now. A chewy Glaswegian accent always gets props at JS-NYC and if you'll do it in a dark Aereogramme sort of way, you can count on JS-NYC being down for the duration. The Twilight Sad have done just that for eight or so releases of varying lengths and volume, plying a post-Joy Division guitar meets electronics sound with harrowing angst-ridden (sung) vocals.

Despite intimations to the contrary, No One Can Ever Know continues in the same vein The Twilight Sad has previously, bringing some Scottish rain and grey to your earholes by way of a bleakly beautiful background of synth and guitar noise. This may very well be the most cohesive The Twilight Sad record to date, opening with the dark and driving Alphabet and bristling with solid tracks like Nil and Don't Look At Me. Nine tracks in total, ten if you get the version with the bonus A Million Ignorants closing the proceedings. Either way, unless you've recently decided to eschew your med cold turkey and are perseverating, No One Can Ever Know comes highly recommended. Get it and all your other The Twilight Sad needs here.

R

Live: The Twilight Sad @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 2.25.12

There comes a time in a man's life when he encounters a point of reckoning. Finding oneself at an advanced age riding over a bridge in the rain with four layers of black, drunk and going to see a Glaswegian band called The Twilight Sad can be one of those times. Enjoying that eventuality can be even odder. That said, I was in fact drunk and pleased at having dodged a lovely female bullet to roll in just as the gents got underway with Kill It In The Morning from the pretty aces new No One Can Ever Know record.


Seven tracks from the new record appeared in the set, with a handful of back catalog sprinkled in for good measure. The Twilight Sad are not going to dash any of the Joy Division comparisons any time soon, but with the two JD factions currently enjoying some pre-reunion time apart, the Glasgow fivesome are doing more than enough to carry the torch. Visa issues caused the first two dates in DC and Philly to be postponed and I know the gents were a little shook personally and financially as a result, but the rabid crowd obviously gave the crew a shot in the arm. The band is tight and James is in fine voice, so barring any emotional issues that would make The Twilight Sad more of a trigger than an enjoyable experience, I'd double down and buy the new No One Can Ever Know as well as take pains to see them on this leg of their US tour. See how to make that happen here at The Twilight Sad web presence.

R