The Lemon Twigs – ‘Look for Your Mind!’ album review: Unashamed 1960s nostalgia
Is there anything more formidable than a sibling-based harmony? We’ve had The Everlys, The Gibbs and The Wilsons, who have all proven that underneath the artistic greatness of a three-part harmony is scientific evidence – blood clearly runs thicker than water. Brian and Michael D’Addario, better known as The Lemon Twigs, have comfortably joined that alumni with their 1960s pop-tinged record Look For Your Mind!
The Skinny: It’s not subtle either. The influences of that generation and the harmonies that were made are so clearly used as the building blocks for The Lemon Twigs’ sixth album. Particularly, the latter – The Wilsons/The Beach Boys – serve as the primary influence, with the D’Addario brothers flirting with doo-wop worlds throughout the entire record.
We’ve come to expect this from The Lemon Twigs, though, who have wholeheartedly embraced retro nostalgia throughout their career with baroque pop arrangements and glam rock energy dripping all over their discography – but something about Look For Your Mind! feels particularly lost in the swirling worlds of their time machine, and that’s down to the production. Following the lead of their beloved Brian Wilson by constructing their very own wall of sound.
While much of the A-side feels like a whistle-stop tour through the ‘60s, ‘Fire and Gold’ brings a welcome folk-tinged segue that reawakens The Lemon Twigs’ true compositional brilliance. One that harnesses, not bathes in, its influences, to create a distinctly unique track that makes you realise this can only be The Lemon Twigs, rather than leave you scratching your chin, wondering what ‘60s outfit this was.
Nostalgic cynicism aside, ‘Mean To Me’ is a truly brilliant track. It’s the black sheep of the Pet Sounds family, with harmonies just as accurate and delicate, layered on top of a somewhat menacing instrumental arrangement that is a necessary tonic before the band rip into ‘Bring You Down’, which, despite its guitar solo, is as brazen as the band gets with their pastiche.
However, the playing on this record is absolutely immaculate. The synergy of The Lemon Twig brothers is completely unparalleled, who, joined by Twigs Reza Matin (drums) and Danny Ayala (bass), make up an air-tight rock band who do justice to their commitment to the expansive production techniques they were trying to replicate.
The final three tracks probably serve as the record’s most interesting. The orchestral realms of ‘Joy’ are much welcomed and showcase the band’s ballad writing capabilities, while ‘My Heart Is In Your Hands Tonight’ and ‘Your True Enemy’ see the psychedelic injections of their melody writing return, particularly on the latter track, which distorts the vocals for the first time.
Standout Track: ‘Fire and Gold’
The Verdict: As always, The Lemon Twigs are unashamedly retro, but have proven on a handful of tracks that it sounds most interesting when balanced with the nuance of their own ideas. The outright celebration of ‘60s pop is refreshing for sure, but not nearly half as much as when they send the nostalgia train on a detour and drive it through psychedelic and experimental realms.
Release Date: May 8th | Producer: Brian D’Addario and Michael D’Addario | Label: Captured Tracks
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