Today’s Sounds

Record:

Twin Shadow’s Confessions

 
Wow. If you thought the last Twin Shadow record was so ’80s, wait till you hear this. George Lewis Jr.’s 2010 debut, Forget, was produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, but here, Lewis sat on both sides of the studio glass (or alone at his kitchen table — whatever) and delved deep into the past.

If you told me that “When the Movie’s Over” was a track from a John Hughes movie soundtrack, I’d believe you. But while some of the melodies and synth textures may feel a little gross because they remind you of the likes of this, there’s no need to panic. Lewis crafts rich and compelling soundscapes here, mixing up the rhythms within individual tracks (“You Call Me On”). There are moments when the bite of the beats sounds more contemporary, or at least more underground ’80s than mainstream ’80s (“Patient,” “Be Mine Tonight”), and when the vocals and melodies recall the new romantic movement (aka a bunch of bad Bowie imitators) more than Casey Casem’s Top 40 (“Golden Light”).

What I’m saying is that there’s a freshness here that you won’t find in the work of some of the other revivalists out there. Perhaps you’ll agree with Stereogum’s assessment — that this sounds like a fantasy collab between Morrissey and Bobby Brown circa 1988, arguably the peak year for both artists’ solo careers. Anyone ever try to mash up tracks from Viva Hate and Don’t Be Cruel? Sounds like a good idea to me.

Listen to the album streaming over at Stereogum, and stick around for the hidden track “Mirror in the Dark.”
 

Track:

Stars, “Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It”

 
This is the second track that the mostly local band has revealed from their next album, The North, out Sept. 4. Very promising.

 

Video:

The Alchemist (feat. Danny Brown), “Flight Confirmation”

 
Words cannot describe this crazy shit. Watch it.