The Lemon Twigs are quickly becoming my new found love in music. They have produced such romantic, yet simple soft rock songs that are quickly capturing my heart. In 2016, The Twigs debuted Do Hollywood that features the band's hits, I Wanna Prove To You and As Long As We're Together. In 2017, the brothers returned with EP Brothers Of Destruction, which was followed up in 2018 by their sophomore album, Go To School. After touring all throughout 2019, on August 21, 2020, they released their third full-length LP, Songs For The General Public, which is what we will be reviewing today.
Hell On Wheels - A great introduction to this album, Hell On Wheels is about exactly what it sounds - "Hell on wheels, Hell on wheels/Dirty white hot jeans, looking for a place to dream". There's really a story within this song, as I believe there's a song in all of these songs. This kind of sounds like a song you could hear in the car, but also around a campfire, or to sing in a bar.
Live In Favor Of Tomorrow - A faster-paced track, this tune is extremely catchy, especially within the chorus. This music is pure and so simple, yet there's something about all of their songs that just... Amazes me. To have artists at this age producing music that sounds like it's from back in the day and it's truthful and raw. The harmonies in this track are so spot-on, the chorus goes "Life and loneliness whisper in your ear and make you/Lost and lonely, it hurts you only/Winning 'till you seen an open door".
No One Holds You (Closer Than The One You Haven't Met) - The next track is about creating a person in your head to have a relationship with. Hence the chorus - "No one holds you closer than the one you haven't met/No one compares to the one you've invented in your head".
Fight - The 60s/70s Glam Rock duo takes it up a notch with Fight, making everything a little more realistic and relatable. The background vocals during this song is hinting more of what the brothers are capable of along with the keyboard echoing. The chorus goes - "Big big fight just like any other/We don't care, we're always gonna hate each other/And I don't have the strength to pull away". These songs are so fun and calming to listen to, but they're also very real and I think that's what draws me to them so much. Not to mention in this track, right in the middle, there's a killer guitar solo that makes it even better.
Somebody Loving You - The purest 70s pop/rock song influenced, Somebody Loving You offers high-pitched vocals and a matching keyboard. And then the chorus hits - "You can't handle somebody loving you/I can't hear you with my fingers in my eardrums/You can't catch someone that relies on you/I can't fear what I've never experienced."
Moon - Lyrically, this song sounds somewhat like a day in the life of Michael D'Addario. And maybe it's his life story, the opening lyrics are - "There are simple people who don't agree with the life I've chosen". Or it could be about a character that has been created, or even just certain people in the world. However, Michael's vocals are extremely strong throughout the entire track, they go even higher during the chorus - "They say 'the moon looks like a toenail tonight'/Say 'I hope it doesn't disappear'/'Cause there's something about walking around in the pale moonlight/Makes me feel like I'm gonna get out of here".
The One - My current favorite from The Twigs, The One offers fantastic lyrics, melody and guitar solo. What's hilarious is what really drew me into listening to the duo more was the music video for this. The music video features Brian and Michael "campaigning" for The One with campaign posters, making a statement since 2020 was election year.
Only A Fool - This track offers tons of fun (like most Lemon Twigs songs). With the sounds of keyboards and guitars, harmonies and great lyrics - "Love is pain that only a fool would wanna know/Somebody sent me flowers only hours ago/I don't wanna know".
Hog - Set on a pure 70s soft-rock ballad sound, Hog is lyrically a heart-breaking track... Yet is so real. The chorus goes - "You were my confidante/Now once in a while, you haunt/My dreams, they turn to nightmares/The water into mud/The bed is soaked with blood".
Why Do Lovers Own Each Other - It's exactly what it sounds like -"Why do lovers own each other/Like a piece of land/If you could never hold another/Then you'd understand"
Leather Together - In full glam-rock effect, Leather Together is also exactly what it sounds like. This track makes me want to put on a fashion show - with the most chaotic, yet fashionable outfits I can find, with leather boots, sunglasses, accessories and amazing makeup. The chorus is what truly makes this song - "We could be leather together/We could be leather together/If we try, if we try".
Ashamed - Strangely, I like this song. Not for the context of it, but the chorus really draws me in for some reason. Possibly for being ashamed of things I have done in my life. But the chorus moved me to tears. "So you're ashamed/On the ballroom floor, she's ashamed/She can't take it anymore/I'm ashamed because I said something/Something I did not mean". Deep into the track, it really starts growing on me. It's like I can feel the song in my veins as it gets more serious.
All in all, Songs For The General Public is quite a fantastic album and does not receive the recognition it truly deserves. I look forward to hearing more and more from The Lemon Twigs in the future and you can listen to Songs For The General Public here. You can follow The Lemon Twigs on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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