Tag: The Twilight Sad

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Twilight Sad Returns with Bittersweet Yet Anthemic “Chest Wound to the Chest”

Scottish post punk outfit The Twilight Sad — currently, vocalist James Graham and multi-instrumentalist Andy MacFarlane — just released their long-awaited sixth album an first in seven years, It’s The Long Goodbye today through through Rock Action Records. 

The origins of the album’s material can be traced back to 2016: Graham and McFarlane returned from the giddy “pinch yourself” high of a tour with The Cure to learn that Graham’s mother had been diagnosed with early onset frontotemporal dementia.

Roughly 80% of the album was written while Graham wrestled with the contrasts between the pure joys of his life — marriage, parenthood, a successful career — and the bitter cruelty of his mother’s decline, followed by her death. 

Over the course of the next seven years, the album’s material was further developed with the London-based MacFarlane stockpiling musical ideas during COVID-19 lockdown, while exchanging words and sounds with Graham. The Cure’s Robert Smith, now a longtime close friend of the duo, provided invaluable input on the album’s demos and contributed guitar on “Waiting For The Phone Call,” mellotron on “Dead Flowers,” and six-string bass on “Back To Fourteen.” 

“Then we had to piece together a band,” Graham says, now that the band is primarily centered on him and MacFarlane. Sometimes Arab Strap members David Jeans and Mogwai touring member Alex Mackay were recruited to play drums and bass respectively, with the album produced and recorded by the band’s MacFalane and addition production from Andy Savours at Willesden, UK-based Battery Studios, a location rich in The Cure history. 

The end result may arguably be the most personal yet relatable album to date from a band whose portraits of bruised and battered humanity have helped to forge close ties with their audience. “In the past, I’ve used a lot of metaphors within my lyrics,” Graham says, “With this, there’s not as much. The record is heavily influenced by my mental health, grief and loss, and the need to be strong in positions where you’re not feeling it. It’s a very human story, I think – this is just my version of it. I feel that everybody goes through something like this. Everybody loses somebody. Everybody questions life.”

Graham adds, “To know that I’m saying things that connect with other people, that’s such a powerful thing. I want to be a relatable person that talks about things that can happen and give an opportunity for people to go, well you’re not alone. I want people to be able to listen to this record and hear that it comes from a place of raw emotion. The album is an opportunity to share my experience and move forward with my life.”

The album includes “Waiting For The Phone Call” featuring The Cure‘s Robert Smith, “Destined To Lose,” “Attempt A Crash Landing — Theme,” and the album’s fourth and latest single “Chest Wound to the Chest.”

“Chest Wound to the Chest” may arguably be the most Brit Pop-like song on the entire album. Sonically bringing Starsailor and Travis to mind (for me, least), the new single is anchored around the bittersweet longing for a dear one, who is no longer around.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Twilight Sad Shares Cathartic “Attempt A Crash Landing — Theme”

Scottish post punk outfit The Twilight Sad — currently, vocalist James Graham and multi-instrumentalist Andy MacFarlane — will be releasing their long-awaited sixth album and first in seven years, It’s The Long Goodbye on March 27, 2026 through Rock Action Records. 

The origins of the soon-to-be released album’s material can be traced back to 2016: Graham and McFarlane returned from the giddy “pinch yourself” high of a tour with The Cure to learn that Graham’s mother had been diagnosed with early onset frontotemporal dementia.

Roughly 80% of the album was written while Graham wrestled with the contrasts between the pure joys of his life — marriage, parenthood, a successful career — and the bitter cruelty of his mother’s decline, followed by her death.

Over the course of the next seven years, the album’s material was further developed with the  the London-based MacFarlane stockpiling musical ideas during COVID-19 lockdown, while exchanging words and sounds with Graham. The Cure’s Robert Smith, now a longtime close friend of the duo, provided invaluable input on the album’s demos and contributed guitar on “Waiting For The Phone Call,” mellotron on “Dead Flowers,” and six-string bass on “Back To Fourteen.” 

“Then we had to piece together a band,” Graham says, now that the band is primarily centered on him and MacFarlane. Sometimes Arab Strap members David Jeans and Mogwai touring member Alex Mackay were recruited to play drums and bass respectively, with the album produced and recorded by the band’s MacFalane and addition production from Andy Savours at Willesden, UK-based Battery Studios, a location rich in The Cure history. 

The end result may arguably be the most personal yet relatable album to date from a band whose portraits of bruised and battered humanity have helped to forge close ties with their audience. “In the past, I’ve used a lot of metaphors within my lyrics,” Graham says, “With this, there’s not as much. The record is heavily influenced by my mental health, grief and loss, and the need to be strong in positions where you’re not feeling it. It’s a very human story, I think – this is just my version of it. I feel that everybody goes through something like this. Everybody loses somebody. Everybody questions life.”

Graham adds, “To know that I’m saying things that connect with other people, that’s such a powerful thing. I want to be a relatable person that talks about things that can happen and give an opportunity for people to go, well you’re not alone. I want people to be able to listen to this record and hear that it comes from a place of raw emotion. The album is an opportunity to share my experience and move forward with my life.”

The album will include “Waiting For The Phone Call” featuring The Cure‘s Robert Smith, “Destined To Lose,” and the album’s third and latest single, “Attempt A Crash Landing — Theme.”

“Attempt A Crash Landing — Theme” slowly builds up from an introspective croon to a rousingly cathartic anthem, as Graham lays bare his soul over McFarlane’s guitar textures. Much like its immediate predecessors, the new single is informed by the deeply personal yet universal experiences of loss, grief and resilience while showcasing the duo’s unerring knack for big, catchy hooks.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Twilight Sad Share Earnest and Rousingly Anthemic “Designed To Lose”

Scottish post punk outfit The Twilight Sad — currently, vocalist James Graham and multi-instrumentalist Andy MacFarlane — recently announced that their long-awaited sixth album and first in seven years, It’s The Long Goodbye. The album, which will include the previously released “Waiting For The Phone Call” featuring The Cure‘s Robert Smith on guitar, is slated for a March 27, 2026 release through Rock Action Records.

The origins of It’s The Long Goodbye‘s material can be traced back to 2016: Graham and McFarlane returned from the “pinch yourself” high of a tour with The Cure to learn that Graham’s mother had been diagnosed with early onset frontotemporal dementia. Roughly 80% of the album was written as Graham wrestled with the contrast between the joys his life — marriage, parenthood, career — and the bitter cruelty of his mother’s decline, followed by her death.

Over the next seven years, the album’s material was further developed with the London-based MacFarlane stockpiling musical ideas during COVID-19 lockdown, while exchanging words and sounds with Graham. The Cure’s Robert Smith, now a longtime close friend of the duo, provided invaluable input on the album’s demos and contributed guitar on “Waiting For The Phone Call,” mellotron on “Dead Flowers,” and six-string bass on “Back To Fourteen.”

“Then we had to piece together a band,” Graham says, now that the band is centered on him and MacFarlane. Sometimes Arab Strap members David Jeans and Mogwai touring member Alex Mackay were recruited to play drums and bass respectively, with the album produced and recorded by the band’s MacFalane with addition production from Andy Savours at Willesden’s Battery Studios, a location rich in The Cure history.

The end result may arguably be the most personal yet relatable album to date from a band whose portraits of bruised and battered humanity have helped to forge close ties with their audience. “In the past, I’ve used a lot of metaphors within my lyrics,” Graham says, “With this, there’s not as much. The record is heavily influenced by my mental health, grief and loss, and the need to be strong in positions where you’re not feeling it. It’s a very human story, I think – this is just my version of it. I feel that everybody goes through something like this. Everybody loses somebody. Everybody questions life.”

Graham adds, “To know that I’m saying things that connect with other people, that’s such a powerful thing. I want to be a relatable person that talks about things that can happen and give an opportunity for people to go, well you’re not alone. I want people to be able to listen to this record and hear that it comes from a place of raw emotion. The album is an opportunity to share my experience and move forward with my life.”

It’s The Long Goodbye‘s second and latest single “Designed To Lose” is a shimmering, propulsive and rousingly anthemic tune that’s anchored on an earnest reflection on the human condition, hinged on how we often seem doomed to lose in so many of our endeavors, including our capacity to cope with loss.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Last year was a breakthrough year for the rather mysterious, up-and-coming Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based psych rock act Venus Furs as they opened for JOVM mainstays The Horrors, The Twilight Sad and Michael Rault. Building upon a rapidly growing profile, the Canadian psych rock act plan to tour during the spring, which they’ll follow up with a full-length album slated for release sometime during the later half of this year; but before all of that, the band released the second single from their forthcoming album, the jangling, and anthemic “Chaos and Confusion.” And while the band says its inspired by Cat Power, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and TV on the Radio, the song to my ears sounds much older, as though it were simultaneously influenced by jangling 120 Minutes New Zealand art rock,  guitar pop, 80s post punk 60s psychedelia, complete with a rousingly anthemic hook, layers of lush guitars and a propulsive rhythm section — with the end result being a brooding and wistful air.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With last year’s release of their debut single “TrafficLightCyclopsDisco” and their self-titled debut EP, the Manchester, UK-based indie rock trio New Luna, comprised of Tommy Deedigan, Zack Bamber and Toby Duncan, have quickly developed a reputation as being a staple of their hometown’s indie rock/alternative scene while drawing comparisons to Radiohead, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Twilight Sad. Adding to a growing profile,  the Manchester-based trio have opened for the likes of Happiness, Bruising, PLAZA, Trudy and the Romance, as well as played sets at a DIY Magazine showcase, YNOT?, ArcTanGent, Truck and Great Escape Festivals. However, with their latest single, “Opinionated,” the British trio’s sound reminds me a bit of My Vitriol and Blur, thanks to layers of distortion-filled, buzzing power chords, thundering drumming and a rousingly anthemic, mosh-pit friendly hook within a quiet, loud, quiet song structure. And while clearly being inspired by 90s alt rock, the song possesses what may be the most direct social statement they’ve released to date — openly suggesting as the old adage says that opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one, and they’re usually shitty.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Campfires in Winter is a Croy, Scotland, UK-based quartet that has quickly exploded onto the UK scene; in fact, the band has received praise across a number of major British media outlets including The Herald, Metro, The Scotsman, The Daily Record and The Sunday Mail, as well as airplay on BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Scotland — including plays on Steve Lamacq‘s, Vic Galloway’s as well as praise from Cocteau Twins‘ Simon Raymonde. Adding to a growing national profile, the band has made appearances at Liverpool Sound City, Belladrum Tartan Heart, Brew at the Bog and Wickerman festivals.

Over the past two years, the Scottish quartet has been in the studio with Andrew Odell and Andrew Bush, best known for his work with The Twilight Sad, De Rosa, We Were Promised Jet Packs and more, writing, revising and recording new material, material that will comprise the band’s forthcoming full-length debut, slated for release later this year through Olive Grove Records. “Kopfkino” the still unnamed full-length debut effort’s first single is an anthemic and arena-rock friendly song that has the Scottish quartet pairing shimmering guitar chords, a propulsive, motorik groove, fluttering electronics and crooned baritone vocals within an expansive song structure that includes a gorgeous and lengthy bridge that subtly reminds me of The Who‘s late 70s work.

 

 
Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Twilight Sad are a Scottish trio comprised of James Graham (vocals), Andy McFarlane (guitar) and Mark Devine (drums) are both critical darlings and something of an indie rock cult favorite band, who haven’t seen […]