SLIM TWIG plays the Great Hall September 28. See listing. Rating: NNN
It’s always been hard to shake the feeling that the idea of Slim Twig was more developed than the music itself. He’s always had flawless style and an intriguing sonic identity, but the songs themselves never stood much of a chance with audiences outside the noise scene. On Sof’ Sike, though, Slim Twig the songwriter is starting to catch up with Slim Twig the concept. He’s still more of a producer than a singer, but that’s okay in the context of these off-kilter psych-pop freak-outs.
We’re assuming the title means “soft psych,” which isn’t the worst description of what’s going on here. For the first time, he sounds like he’s got an actual band behind him, and the experimental, rockabilly and hip-hop influences of his earlier work are pushed further into the background in favour of comparatively straightforward psych rock. This may make for more pop-friendly results, but you don’t pick up a Slim Twig album looking for anything approaching conventional. There’s still plenty of weirdness on Sof’ Sike, but it’s not adventurous enough.
Top track: Love You As I Lay
