The Lemon Twigs - Brothers of Destruction EP

Rating:

The pair pack layers of invention, wit and melody into these six tracks.

After the spirited, spangled carnival ride of last year's 4AD debut, The Lemon Twigs return with an EP, closing “the last chapter of the ‘Do Hollywood’ era of our group” with ‘Brothers of Destruction’. If talking about your own young band in terms of chapters or eras suggests a swaggering self-importance, the D’Addario brothers have more than enough of the charm - and the chops - to carry it off.

Recorded on their home 8-track setup, the pair pack layers of invention, wit and melody into these six tracks. The kaleidoscopic ‘Why Didn't You Say That’ rides in on buoyant, Beatley bass worthy of Sir Thumbsaloft himself, while ‘So Fine’’s fragile first few bars quickly spiral off into other intricate, harmonious galaxies.

A fine pair of Beach Boys homages - the ‘Smile’-esque fragility of ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Night Song’’s ‘Wild Honey’ soul - might suggest otherwise, but there's still plenty more to the duo than pastiche, poise and retro pop pilfery. “You're my vision of the future”, begins the lush ‘Light and Love’, closing the set with two pairs of eyes pinned on the path ahead, never looking back. There's plenty here to suggest that these ‘Brothers of Destruction’ are building towards something really special. Rob Mesure