Long Island’s Twin Sister is one of those bands that without the Internet, I may not have stumbled across.  I believe it was a post over at Gorilla vs. Bear that originally introduced me to music from the band’s then-forthcoming EP, Color Your Life.  I was immediately hooked by their ethereal, dreamlike pop, and happily rushed to purchase the EP (even though it had been available for free on bandcamp.com).  Color Your Life quickly became one of my top picks for 2010, in large part driven by the infectious single “All Around and Away We Go.”  So I was rather excited when during their stop in Pittsburgh this past summer, they previewed much of the material for their full length debut.  This week, that full length – In Heaven – is finally hitting shelves.

On In Heaven, Twin Sister continue to work within the dreamy indie pop that they’re known for.  Yet here, the arrangement and composition is fleshed out a bit more, adding greater dimensionality to the band’s music.  That said, Twin Sister does stretch out a bit on the new album.  The lead single “Bad Street”  showcases a funky playfulness, while “Gene Ciampi” and “Spain” flirt with spagetti western sounds.  Slower temp cuts such as “Luna” and “Kimmi in a Ricefield” evoke a floating, ethereal aesthetic, while a number of other songs are simply exquisite pop (as in “Stop,” “Space Babe” and “Saturday Sunday”).

In Heaven is one of my most anticipated albums of 2011.  While it’s a great album, I’m not convinced that Twin Sister has made their best work just yet.  Given the band’s willingness to expand their stylistic repertoire over the last year, it will be very interesting to see how their sound evolves over the course of another album or two.  My guess is that there’s a gem of an album in Twin Sister’s future, and I’m inclined to say that they’re certainly a band to keep on your radar.

None of this is to speak poorly of In Heaven.  It’s a concise, satisfying album that I’m sure will continue to grow on me in the coming weeks – especially given the irresistible catchiness of many of the tracks.  In Heaven is out this week on the Domino label.

B+

Check out the video for “Bad Street” –

Twin Sister is also kicking off their next leg of touring, including a handful of dates with Pains of Being Pure at Heart (an incredible double bill).  Twin Sister is excellent live, and seem to genuinely enjoy taking the time out to chat, which is always endearing.  Upcoming dates below:

09/29 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/01 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (w/Wild Beasts)
10/02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall (w/Wild Beasts)
10/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater (w/Wild Beasts)
10/13 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck (w/Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
10/14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ U of O (w/Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
10/15 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone (w/Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
10/16 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge (w/Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
10/18 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar (w/Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
10/26 – Rotterdam @ Rotown
10/25 – London @ Cargo
10/27 – Utrecht @ Ekko
10/29 – Berlin @ Bergain Kantine
10/31 – Amsterdam @ Upstairs at Paradiso
11/02 – Brighton @ Jam
11/04 – Oxford @ Jericho Tavern
11/05 – Bristol @ Start the Bus
11/06 – Liverpool @ Mojo
11/07 – Manchester @ The Deaf Institute
11/09 – Glasgow @ The Captain’s Rest
11/10 – Edinburgh @ Sneaky Pete’s
11/12 – Dublin @ The Grand Social
11/15 – Brussels @ Witloof Bar
11/16 – Paris @ Club Folamour
12/15 – Miami, FL @ Bardot

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