The Twin Atlas
Magic Car Wash
Tappersize Records

Magic Car Wash is really a mini-album, consisting of five full songs mixed together with instrumental interludes - the latter ones of minimal musical interest, though. The press sleeve also names the album "a companion piece to last year's Sun Township CD".

The full songs here are more of the same as we heard on their debut. Pleasant, melodic guitar pop with a folky feel, sometimes very much in the Byrds-area, maybe because of their use of vocal harmonies. The best moments is perhaps when they make use of the banjo, as in "Happy At The Wheel", the third song, starting out very much like "Sloop John B", actually. Of the instrumentals, "Our Parting Shot", which ends the album, is the only one worth mentioning - mostly because of the subtile use of percussion.

There are very few, if any, sharp edges here, which makes this a typical Sunday morning album. Probably also exactly what they aim for, and sometimes all you ask for as a listener.

Still, making Sunday morning albums has its limitations, and if the Twin Atlas has ambitions of producing more records, my advice will be to put a little bit more enthusiasm or even aggression into their music. Maybe a fuzz box will do, lads?

Copyright © 2007 Håvard Kløften