And then there were two

I wrote on an earlier blog about Foxygen, a band I had then recently discovered and fallen in love with. And it’s hard to fall in love past 30. Especially with musicians. For their music, I mean.

Anyway, turns out the ridiculously talented duo behind Foxygen extend said talent to scouting: a few years ago, they had a couple of teenaged brothers start opening shows for them on the East Coast. These brothers formed The Lemon Twigs, in many ways successors/disciples to Foxygen as they created similarly complex indie pop rock pieces with an ease that is even more disconcerting given their — then barely legal — age.

The Twigs’ first major single, “These words”, is already 2 and a half years old now, and it beautifully introduces the virtuosity of the D'addario brothers — that’s their name. They clearly draw on 60’s / 70’s psyché pop rock sounds that wouldn’t have been mocked by the late Jim Morrison, while already showcasing subtle melody writing skills — not to mention a spotless production, back up vocals included, despite the track’s complexity. And it came with a full album, Do Hollywood. And the kids were of high school age…

A subsequent single came out of that album, too: “I wanna prove to you”.

Drawing on the same inspiration as “These words”, it goes further in complexity, with melodic and rhythmic changes throughout the piece, quite directly referencing the work of their friends from Foxygen, albeit in the best of ways: we are left with a wonderful little operatic piece that would sound Queen-esque if its tonality didn’t remain that peaceful throughout.

This is not the end, only the beginning though: the pair were at it again this year, releasing their sophomore album, the ironically named Go to school. The piece shows how their sound is now evolving to less light, ethereal, bouncing melodies, and more straightforward, rock-sounding hooks — with deeper subject matter to match. This is perfectly highlighted by the recent “Never in My Arms, Always in My Heart”, the dramatic story of an ageing couple failing to have children, in what appears to be an already dull life.

No matter where these kids go next, it will be interesting. Worth a Google alert.