Like those by Buzz Records labelmates Dilly Dally, the tunes on local fuzz-pop project Twist’s full-length debut are full of nods to the 90s, but they’re nearly the antithesis of the former’s brash alt rock. Instead, Twist – originally a duo conceived by singer/songwriter Laura Hermiston and Holy Fuck’s Brian Borcherdt, who contributed to and co-produced Spectral – touches on minimal, Creation Records-indebted shoegaze and lo-fi pop gems smothered in dense noise.
That combo isn’t exactly new, but Hermiston’s dreamy vocals and cohesive vision make Spectral vital, singular and refreshing, like the work of peers like Katie Crutchfield and Angel Olsen. Though Spectral has some outside collaborators, including Jennie Vee and Crocodiles’ Charlie Rowell, it’s decidedly Hermiston’s show, and there isn’t a note out of place.
Unless it’s meant to be, that is. Spectral’s spooky centrepiece, Slums And Seaports, ditches the more straight-ahead pop undercurrents of the surrounding songs to conjure a sea shantyish nightmare that serves as a warning against unwanted advances, as Hermiston sings, “I don’t wanna give all my love away.” The album’s other outlier – sparse acoustic finisher Where To Lie – is also a highlight, with a vocal melody that artfully weaves between soft sadness and steely self-acceptance.
Then there are the fun moments: Pavement’s thunderous pop, Can’t Wait’s aquatic dreaminess and thrash breakdown, the washed-out, sun-kissed anti-anthem Soaked. Standout Sin Monster collects all these elements into one package, creating an irresistible warped hit that starts starkly, teases at an impending explosion and then bursts open into thick, blissful noise.
The shadowy fuzzed-out Spectral is one of the year’s most solid debuts. And Buzz has another hype-worthy act on its hands.
Top track: Sin Monster
Twist bring Spectral to the Baby G on September 16. See listing.
