Yr Humble Narrator

As a precursor, I should note until this album , I’ve never been huge into Twilight Sad. Perhaps I’m too cheery or I was put off when I saw them open for Idlewild back in 2007 with the far jumpier Baillie and The Fault as the first act and the atmosphere sucked straight out of the venue. Whatever. That was in the past, this is the present. Its been a turbulent couple of years for Twilight Sad. Bassist Craig Orzel left back in February of 2010. Touring bassists have filled this hole and continue to. For their third full album, they’ve shaken things up musically. 

“No One Can Ever Know” sees them explore a more krautrock and sythny sound that recalls Joy Division (may be a lazy comparison but hey, it fits). James Graham’s broad Glaswegian baritone is still present. So are rumbly bass guitars. Andy McFarlane’s guitar plays more of a second fiddle along side the keys but are more prominent on “Sink”. The drums themselves haven’t escaped completely organically, being largely programmed sound cold and sparse. That actually might be a perfect way to sum up the album. You know that feeling just after a breakup of suspended disbelief? Bang, thats feeling I get from this album. Not that this a bad thing, re-invention in the face of tragedy is always a good thing.

So how will this album translate live? Videos that are circulating Youtube of the songs before their release suggest just fine and as they become more comfortable with the set-up, the songs will flourish no doubt.

Personal favourites are “Sick”, “Nil” and “Another Bed”