My favorite on the album. Especially the verse. A slightly new (or different) depth and complexity to the harmonies, even compared to his other ballads. Dashes of 70s Joni Mitchell almost. Hope Brian develops that more on his solo album.
I'll completely go to bat for this album-I appreciate the discussion but I just don't agree at all with the slightly disappointed undertone of these guys. Don't get me wrong, I also loved the unpredictability and sorta edginess of their earlier records. But genuinely, how do you expect them to do Sunshine Pop with that same songwriting ethos? It's just not really in the spirit of this project, and I think that's fine!! I'd rather they do what they did and go all in with the sound than force quirkiness into it. I don't think that loss resulted in a drop in quality for the songwriting, and there are still plenty of unexpected and interesting chord changes and melody choices. I've listened to this album like twice a day since I got my vinyl early last week and I think it may just be their best. Certainly as far as the production goes with how perfectly balanced yet intricately layered it is. No disrespect to the other guys, I enjoyed the video! But I'd still love an in-depth review from you though Matt!
Totally with you. It was nice to have them on to balance my super fandom and offer some critique, but if it wasn’t clear enough, this is a sensational album. For my money, the best pop rock band on earth.
@@MattOLearyMusic Oh for sure, I've seen enough from ya to know you're in my corner on this one! I just really love this album and will die on the hill of defending it 😂
Great reviews and a lot of really good points were brought up and explored. I really enjoyed this new album a lot, but I also miss a bit of the personality of the older albums at the same time. All the same, this is still a 4.5 for me and definitely will be a fixture of the summer and beyond. Really love My Golden Years, A Dream is All I Know, Church Bells, Ember Days, Peppermint Roses and I Should've Known Right From the Start but every song is great.
Every song has its place on this album. It’s a 10/10 from me. This conversation was a little unenthusiastic for how great this band is. Finding the Lemon twigs is the most excited I’ve been for music in a good 20 years. Most of my favourite songs are from Everything Harmony and Songs for the General public. I wasn’t sure either of those albums could be beaten, but in terms of consistent great tracks it’s just as good, if not better! I appreciate the content though. Thanks very much.
Thanks, your videos are good. It’s nice to find someone who thinks as highly of them as me. It certainly wasn’t a criticism, I hope it didn’t come across that way 😊
"Finding the Lemon twigs is the most excited I’ve been for music in a good 20 years. " same here... actually, i came back from the dark, and started to play my instruments again, composing, and enjoying, partly thanks to this fresh air... I told exactly this to Brian, last day I saw them live, and i saw the guys around in a bar. Like anyother person... so friendly these guys are.
I don’t know if this album hits as hard as Everything Harmony, but for me it’s still so consistently fun and enjoyable. The deep cuts grew on me a lot and of course all of the singles are great. I found the second half to have some tracks I didn’t love as much, but there is no “bad” song on here. Picked up a vinyl copy for this as soon as I had the chance and I’m not disappointed!
In a recent interview the boys revealed that this album was written to add more upbeat tunes for their live shows. Joe Jackson wrote in his autobiography "a cure for gravity" that he wrote pop tunes to pay the bills. It's quite possible that Ronnie (Dad) is helping them to achieve some commercial success first and then let the boys go and produce what their flights of fancy may create? This album is amazing, yet much more commercial with short, catchy, upbeat tunes.
Great analysis, really enjoyed the video. Thank all three of you for your calm, measured style of conversation, and not doing the all-too-common thing of talking over one another.
The Twigs have a common situation that 10cc had for their first two albums. Basically Freedom to do as they please,. They both had their own studios to experiment in. When you mix that with the crazy talent they have, you get great albums.The kind where all the songs are great, and some are fantastic. The kind of albums where people have a different favorite song. always a good sign. Its been a long time since I've bought an album that I can't wait to listen to everyday. And let's not forget their personalities, they seem like nice guys. So humble. Their albums shouldn't be reviewed, they should be cherished.
For me, the Twigs captured a critically acclaimed pop era in the 60s that was fairly short-lived. Namely, the music on Pet Sounds and the Beatles' music (pre-Revolver), had a certain innocence to it, sweet lyrics but not with a lot of depth. Everything became more "deep" and experimental at a certain point, like with Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's (sometimes with corny results). I like how the Twigs linger on this unpretentious pop era a bit longer and give it modern mixing. It's so much fun.
With ADIAWK they went in the More Brian Direction because especially Brian Felt his ballads in the past Albums were his favourites. But for Michael its the music they both like Listen to the Most. So they might have found their favourite style to write and reduce throwing in some weirdness and over the top virtuosity. For me thats fine, ADIAWK and EH are my favourite Albums so far. It seems more smooth as for the record.
about the topic of Michael kind of losing his edge, I think you've encapsulated why this feels different for me. it seems we won't get another Those Days is Comin' Soon
I agree with you. When ‘How can I love her more dropped’ was the first time I got really disappointed with a LT track. It was the first time they truly sounded like a carbon copy of some 60-70s band with nothing new added to the mix. I miss Michael’s bizarre but entertaining lyrics and Brian’s cool synth stuff he did. I hope they realize that they’re strength lied in there weirdness and extravagant take on the 60s music and go back to that. Maybe they feel as they’ve gotten older and HAVE to today more mature coherent music. I don’t know.
Elo Matt! Nice vid. I watched these two interviews with B&M (maybe you did too but who knows ?) and found them extremely rewarding. The brothers offer great insight into their recording process, influences, songwriting methods, ethos and so on - and some of their answers should close the "derivative" debate for good :) I adore this lp with every fiber of my being but again I find myself more of a Brian's fanboy than ever (Sweet Vibration, Ember Days and I Should've Known are my favorites... the latter, whooa!!), though Michael's growth as a singer and songwriter is nothing short of spectacular ! They seem to have matured as recording artists by being at peace with unabashedly making the music that they love : I truly think it's that simple ! th-cam.com/video/QlR8cYgaZJI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gsoBbHSqcTsAwgaJ th-cam.com/video/HkkY7uhrZgY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ERt_3yDaBx-9Dqmt
Yes. Not sure if I said this in this review or my ranking the albums show on Tastes Like Music’s channel, but I applaud them for sticking to the music that’s authentically them. Many bands try and fail to live up to the impossible bar set by albums like Odyssey & oracle, village green preservation society, revolver, etc. The Twigs are making arguably more refined versions, continuing a rich tradition. Thanks for sharing these
I don't think the comparison to Gretta Van Fleet is fair. Stylistically these guys are all over the map, even if they do wear their influences on their sleeves. But GVF is a blatant ripoff of one band, and everyone knows who it is the second you hear them. They even mimic their mannerisms and vocal affectations to a T. I was actually embarrassed for them the first time I heard their music. The Lemon Twigs are nothing like that. They're writing great songs and evolving with each new album. It's like an apples and hammers comparison.
Agreed. I don’t think Jason agrees with that comparison either, but he’s heard it voiced. The difference, as he said, is songwriting quality. GVF is ultra generic in that sense, while the Twigs have that almost intangible songwriting ability. Most of it comes down to interesting chord structures, melodies & harmonies
@@MattOLearyMusic For sure. And just being preternaturally gifted. So glad I finally decided to dig into their work! I've known about them for years but never bothered for some reason.
i'm late on this but had to chime in. this might have been *somewhat* true about greta in 2017/2018, but if you still have this opinion on them, you haven't listened to or seen anything past that. their songwriting has matured a ton and they, too, have excellent compositional skills (as demonstrated especially on their last 2 albums - so much that's anything but "ultra generic"). the lemon twigs "are nothing like that?" they're evolving? come on. they're rocking beatles haircuts and the lennon stance and seemingly getting more derivative with every release. none of this personally bothers me and i can appreciate their music as well, but the double standard because of musical elitist groupthink is actually comical.
We ranked all of the Lemon Twigs albums here! th-cam.com/video/CsulYFujIj8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XMfx1kcPvQ5SBc7z
I can't get Ember Days out if my head. It's an absolute gem.
My favorite on the album. Especially the verse. A slightly new (or different) depth and complexity to the harmonies, even compared to his other ballads. Dashes of 70s Joni Mitchell almost. Hope Brian develops that more on his solo album.
100%! So looking forward to that album!
Amazing song. The chords/harmonies.. 🤤
@@MattOLearyMusic Ah man, it’s just perfect…
I'll completely go to bat for this album-I appreciate the discussion but I just don't agree at all with the slightly disappointed undertone of these guys. Don't get me wrong, I also loved the unpredictability and sorta edginess of their earlier records. But genuinely, how do you expect them to do Sunshine Pop with that same songwriting ethos? It's just not really in the spirit of this project, and I think that's fine!! I'd rather they do what they did and go all in with the sound than force quirkiness into it. I don't think that loss resulted in a drop in quality for the songwriting, and there are still plenty of unexpected and interesting chord changes and melody choices. I've listened to this album like twice a day since I got my vinyl early last week and I think it may just be their best. Certainly as far as the production goes with how perfectly balanced yet intricately layered it is.
No disrespect to the other guys, I enjoyed the video! But I'd still love an in-depth review from you though Matt!
Totally with you. It was nice to have them on to balance my super fandom and offer some critique, but if it wasn’t clear enough, this is a sensational album. For my money, the best pop rock band on earth.
@@MattOLearyMusic Oh for sure, I've seen enough from ya to know you're in my corner on this one! I just really love this album and will die on the hill of defending it 😂
Well said.
LemonTwigs actualized the roots of best music of the sixties,they are so good
Simply the best 🙏
Michael is writing incredible.
‘Incredibly’ you mean?
Great reviews and a lot of really good points were brought up and explored. I really enjoyed this new album a lot, but I also miss a bit of the personality of the older albums at the same time. All the same, this is still a 4.5 for me and definitely will be a fixture of the summer and beyond. Really love My Golden Years, A Dream is All I Know, Church Bells, Ember Days, Peppermint Roses and I Should've Known Right From the Start but every song is great.
Every song has its place on this album. It’s a 10/10 from me. This conversation was a little unenthusiastic for how great this band is. Finding the Lemon twigs is the most excited I’ve been for music in a good 20 years.
Most of my favourite songs are from Everything Harmony and Songs for the General public. I wasn’t sure either of those albums could be beaten, but in terms of consistent great tracks it’s just as good, if not better!
I appreciate the content though. Thanks very much.
I get it. Here's a more enthusiastic video for you 🙂 th-cam.com/video/VD-tHCVD8qM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6UfzthMOy6wzL458
Thanks, your videos are good. It’s nice to find someone who thinks as highly of them as me. It certainly wasn’t a criticism, I hope it didn’t come across that way 😊
"Finding the Lemon twigs is the most excited I’ve been for music in a good 20 years. " same here... actually, i came back from the dark, and started to play my instruments again, composing, and enjoying, partly thanks to this fresh air... I told exactly this to Brian, last day I saw them live, and i saw the guys around in a bar. Like anyother person... so friendly these guys are.
I don’t know if this album hits as hard as Everything Harmony, but for me it’s still so consistently fun and enjoyable. The deep cuts grew on me a lot and of course all of the singles are great. I found the second half to have some tracks I didn’t love as much, but there is no “bad” song on here. Picked up a vinyl copy for this as soon as I had the chance and I’m not disappointed!
They don’t miss!
In a recent interview the boys revealed that this album was written to add more upbeat tunes for their live shows. Joe Jackson wrote in his autobiography "a cure for gravity" that he wrote pop tunes to pay the bills. It's quite possible that Ronnie (Dad) is helping them to achieve some commercial success first and then let the boys go and produce what their flights of fancy may create? This album is amazing, yet much more commercial with short, catchy, upbeat tunes.
Great analysis, really enjoyed the video. Thank all three of you for your calm, measured style of conversation, and not doing the all-too-common thing of talking over one another.
Thank you, sir. As a former high school counselor, calm and measured is my MO.
The Twigs have a common situation that 10cc had for their first two albums. Basically Freedom to do as they please,. They both had their own studios to experiment in.
When you mix that with the crazy talent they have, you get great albums.The kind where all the songs are great, and some are fantastic. The kind of albums where people have a different favorite song. always a good sign.
Its been a long time since I've bought an album that I can't wait to listen to everyday. And let's not forget their personalities, they seem like nice guys. So humble.
Their albums shouldn't be reviewed, they should be cherished.
They’re top tier, absolutely. I’ve only given 3 10/10 reviews, and two of them are Twigs.
"The kind of albums where people have a different favorite song." so freaking true.... ANd I love that
For me, the Twigs captured a critically acclaimed pop era in the 60s that was fairly short-lived. Namely, the music on Pet Sounds and the Beatles' music (pre-Revolver), had a certain innocence to it, sweet lyrics but not with a lot of depth. Everything became more "deep" and experimental at a certain point, like with Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's (sometimes with corny results). I like how the Twigs linger on this unpretentious pop era a bit longer and give it modern mixing. It's so much fun.
You nailed it. We were all longing for more Revolver-era pop with modern production.
With ADIAWK they went in the More Brian Direction because especially Brian Felt his ballads in the past Albums were his favourites. But for Michael its the music they both like Listen to the Most. So they might have found their favourite style to write and reduce throwing in some weirdness and over the top virtuosity. For me thats fine, ADIAWK and EH are my favourite Albums so far. It seems more smooth as for the record.
It's weird that this album feels more Brian when Michael wrote more of it
Why is this band not huge? Maybe they are too 60's or 70's for today's trends but for me they are the best band around.
The general public isn’t very musical.
about the topic of Michael kind of losing his edge, I think you've encapsulated why this feels different for me. it seems we won't get another Those Days is Comin' Soon
Michael needed to lose some edge, the Lou Reed shit was not helping the band
hell yeah!
Probably alone in this, but I'd love it if they'd make a Lemon Twigs album more in the direction of the Alan Parsons Project.
Ooh I like it. Brian’s solo album will be a little more soul and r&b inspired, so maybe a bit in that direction.
I agree with you.
When ‘How can I love her more dropped’ was the first time I got really disappointed with a LT track. It was the first time they truly sounded like a carbon copy of some 60-70s band with nothing new added to the mix.
I miss Michael’s bizarre but entertaining lyrics and Brian’s cool synth stuff he did.
I hope they realize that they’re strength lied in there weirdness and extravagant take on the 60s music and go back to that.
Maybe they feel as they’ve gotten older and HAVE to today more mature coherent music. I don’t know.
with that said i love My Golden Years, Peppermint Roses, If you and I are not wise, Church Bells and Rock On.
I personally prefer their newer sound to the scatterbrainedness of Do Hollywood.
The album is a five and a ten, because is so high music quality and the best of the best momentum of rock history. So, don´t complain.
I’m like album agreed question. Gown up. Album
Hey Maryann. Hope you’re well, and loving the album!
@@MattOLearyMusic welcome you. I’m agreed with you question. Gown up album and Harmony vocals good
Elo Matt! Nice vid. I watched these two interviews with B&M (maybe you did too but who knows ?) and found them extremely rewarding. The brothers offer great insight into their recording process, influences, songwriting methods, ethos and so on - and some of their answers should close the "derivative" debate for good :)
I adore this lp with every fiber of my being but again I find myself more of a Brian's fanboy than ever (Sweet Vibration, Ember Days and I Should've Known are my favorites... the latter, whooa!!), though Michael's growth as a singer and songwriter is nothing short of spectacular !
They seem to have matured as recording artists by being at peace with unabashedly making the music that they love : I truly think it's that simple !
th-cam.com/video/QlR8cYgaZJI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gsoBbHSqcTsAwgaJ
th-cam.com/video/HkkY7uhrZgY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ERt_3yDaBx-9Dqmt
Yes. Not sure if I said this in this review or my ranking the albums show on Tastes Like Music’s channel, but I applaud them for sticking to the music that’s authentically them. Many bands try and fail to live up to the impossible bar set by albums like Odyssey & oracle, village green preservation society, revolver, etc. The Twigs are making arguably more refined versions, continuing a rich tradition. Thanks for sharing these
What is the name of the B-Side?
gifts
@@happytobehere8179 Thanks
Fantano got wrong with Go to School, he just did not understood what great it is. Fantano is not that strong on progressive psychodelic power pop,
Agreed. It’s definitely not his bag.
I love Go to School too. I just wish it was recorded / mixed a little bit more cleaner
I miss the chaotic Michael era.
Fair.
I don't think the comparison to Gretta Van Fleet is fair. Stylistically these guys are all over the map, even if they do wear their influences on their sleeves. But GVF is a blatant ripoff of one band, and everyone knows who it is the second you hear them. They even mimic their mannerisms and vocal affectations to a T. I was actually embarrassed for them the first time I heard their music. The Lemon Twigs are nothing like that. They're writing great songs and evolving with each new album. It's like an apples and hammers comparison.
Agreed. I don’t think Jason agrees with that comparison either, but he’s heard it voiced. The difference, as he said, is songwriting quality. GVF is ultra generic in that sense, while the Twigs have that almost intangible songwriting ability. Most of it comes down to interesting chord structures, melodies & harmonies
@@MattOLearyMusic For sure. And just being preternaturally gifted. So glad I finally decided to dig into their work! I've known about them for years but never bothered for some reason.
i'm late on this but had to chime in. this might have been *somewhat* true about greta in 2017/2018, but if you still have this opinion on them, you haven't listened to or seen anything past that. their songwriting has matured a ton and they, too, have excellent compositional skills (as demonstrated especially on their last 2 albums - so much that's anything but "ultra generic"). the lemon twigs "are nothing like that?" they're evolving? come on. they're rocking beatles haircuts and the lennon stance and seemingly getting more derivative with every release. none of this personally bothers me and i can appreciate their music as well, but the double standard because of musical elitist groupthink is actually comical.
Definitely one of their weakest records.. still love them tho