Review: Twerps - Range Anxiety
By Bailey Kretz, Staff Writer
[Merge; 2015]
Rating: 7/10
Key Tracks: “Simple Feelings,” “Shoulders,” “Stranger”
Lo-fi janglers Twerps will release their new album, Range Anxiety, next week on Merge, and this is their best work to date. The Australian band has cleaned up its sound and expanded on its catchy licks. This is a perfect album to throw on for any occasion and listeners will find themselves flipping the album back and forth, playing the tracks over and over again.
Opening track “I Don’t Mind” starts off as a slow, carefree track. Backing vocals from Jules McFalane help to flesh out the dynamics and create an upbeat, feel good song. This transitions into the poppy “Back to You,” which reaches its prime during the chorus when the band members harmonize, “And it all keeps coming back to you.” The song is a perfect anthem for any drunken get-together with the best of friends.
If Range Anxiety was to be summarized in one track, “Simple Feelings” would be the winner. Not only does this jammer demonstrate Twerps’ laidback beachy vibes, but it also showcases how cleanly all of the members play. Though nothing is overly complicated in the track, all four instruments meld together in perfect harmony. Marty’s vocals on “Simple Feelings” sit on a perfect balance of soft and wispy, but with a fun and bouncy vibe. Although the whole song is great, it is the last 45 seconds that seal the deal. An instrumental outro, which seems to be a reoccurring theme on Range Anxiety, causes instant urges to dance. Even those who hate to dance can’t help but bop along to this smooth track.
“White as Snow” and “Cheap Education” both channel a Minks-meets-Eddy Current Suppression Ring feel with chant-like lyrics and a By the Hedge poppy-slur of instruments. Despite sounding like a strange combination, Twerps pulls it off flawlessly.
McFalane takes lead vocals on “Stranger,” “Adrenaline” and “Shoulders,” which happen to be some of the best tracks on the album. Maybe it’s just the adorably charming Australian accent that peeps through in her voice, but it’s hard to resist belting out, “Have no fear / On my shoulder,” along with her on “Shoulders.” The more frequent featuring of McFalane on lead vocals is a solid decision on this album, as it shows the band’s ability to effortlessly shift style.
Front to back, Range Anxiety will surely win listeners over. Part of its charm is that it is not overly complicated. Nowadays, bands try to find something quirky or experimental to bring to the table, trying to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. On Range Anxiety, Twerps prove that all it really takes is a polished sound and catchy songs. Any one of the songs on this album could have been a “Key Track,” so go ahead and put the album on repeat for the next few weeks--it won’t disappoint.
