I never thought I would like a song that Ani Difranco had any part of but here I am bobbing my head along to “Blackbird and the Fox” off of Dynamite Steps, the latest from Twilight Singers. Thanks a lot, Greg Dulli.
It’s been almost 5 years since their last, Powder Burns, dropped and it sounds as if Dulli and co. haven’t skipped a beat. Twilight Singers make the kind of music I love: hard to describe. It’s a mixture of alt-rock, soul, and pop wrapped in a blanket of beauty
“Last Night in Town” is a piano-laden opener building to a wall of guitars and strings. “Waves” is an epic maelstrom of guitars with Dulli’s croon floating comfortably underneath. “Get Lucky” is a slow jam with a solid drum groove that carries throughout while first single “On The Corner” starts off hypnotic and leads to a percussive piano/drum showdown tickled with guitar solos.
Then there’s the guests. Besides Difranco, Dulli gets a little help from his Gutter Twin Mark Lanegan who lends his unmistakable rasp to the somber “Be Invited”.
If I wanted to, I could write a glowing review for every song on Dynamite Steps. I really could. Instead, I’m going to let you try it for yourself.
2 comments
Greg says:
Feb 17, 2011
I usually prefer the Afghan Whigs (and the Gutter Twins) to these guys, but this was really solid album. There’s honestly not a bad song here, which is kind of surprising, since even their best records (“Twilight As Sung By…” “Powder Burns”) lagged in places. “Waves,” “Blackbird and the Fox” and “Never Seen No Devil” are probably my favorites. All in all, it’s the best alternative to a new Gutter Twins album. Nice work here.
Jesse says:
Feb 17, 2011
@Greg
Totally feel the same way. I loved Powder Burns but there are definitely periods where it just stalled. Dynamite is probably their most consistent to date.