The Lemon Twigs: A Dream Is All We Know – Album Review

The Lemon Twigs: A Dream Is All We Know

(Captured Tracks)

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The Lemon Twigs release another highly accomplished album in quick succession before embarking on an epic tour later in the year. Another slice of McCartneys DNA or not? MK Bennett investigates.

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In terms of raw sound, how much beauty can the mind take in? Suppose in pop culture we accept the high water mark of God Only Knows as the pinnacle of pop perfection then, with that, white fellas beat into brilliance by their father, Brian’s broken mind skittering in and out of focus, forever created ever more elaborate ways to say “Fuck you, Dad”. It’s not going to last, it has no sense of itself, only the process constantly renewing. It can be said of any music noted more for its technical excellence that the real work is to reach the heart rather than the mind, but that is a purely subjective idea, even if the history of popular song is far more likely to come down on the side of emotion than logic.

As noted in the review of the single A Dream Is All I Know, there is a rare beauty here in the seemingly previously heard, the sort of thing that should have a crest or motto to set it apart from other bands of similar branding. Semper Ad Coelestia, Always To The Heavens. Or It’s Only Rock n Roll But I Like It; in this scenario either or both reasonably apply.

The first track, My Golden Years, is a case in point as a Faces’ riff rolls down a hill to meet top-class California harmonies, while the lyrics tell a story of missing chances and regret. Technically perfect as you would expect but kudos for never letting the musical craft get in the way of the song craft. They Don’t Know How To Fall Into Place supposes that The Monkees discovered Ska around the time of Head, not psychedelia, and it turns out to be an excellent idea, which then changes theme/key/direction into the imaginary title sequence to an out of focus house-sharing romp starring one of Laverne and Shirley. This is also outstanding.

Church Bells is a major key soft shoe shuffle, an almost absurdly happy parade through several different two and three-part harmonies, a light confection made of hidden brickwork. Slightly over two minutes of warmth and Apple Records produce. A Dream Is All I Know sounds even better in the context of the album, a very 10cc thing, phased here and echoed there, a standout song on an album of already crystalline brilliance.

Sweet Vibration is another sad-eyed lyric obscured by Grade A singing, both lead and backing vocals, as the music recalls the entire top ten chart rundown of any good week in the 70s –  Wings, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries and Rundgren, Todd. In The Eyes Of The Girl wanders as far over the dial as The Rubettes and pre-disco BeeGee’s, another perfect three-minute pop song that’s gone before the chorus has time to settle properly.

Somewhere in this sweet golden music, there lies a corruption, a dissonance, though not in the music itself. The plurality and singularity are referenced more than once in the titles and lyrics, and the words are often at odds with the bright, bold melodies, speaking of lost ground and broken promises, expectant hearts and the inevitable passing of time. Are they attempting to make a monument, an idol to a specific time or genre? Do the words subvert the songs enough to drag them from any sort of pastiche? Almost every song is between two and three minutes and harmonically perfect, more Big Star with every sunset.

If You And I Are Not Wise has one of those Byrdsian jangles that Crosby produced from his God Tier, via one of the most underrated bands of all time; pre-fame Soul Asylum. Another wonderful song and a bit more guitar than the previous track or two. How Can I Love Her More? is Roy Wood before the Christmas beard and novelty instruments, more cynical but beautifully delivered words (“Say a bad thing about our love..”) Ember Days is stunning as if The Beach Boys decided to record a Nick Drake song, a delicate genius, something you would play over and over to check it is as good as you think it is. And it is.

Peppermint Roses rocks very pleasingly, stop motion drum fills adding dynamics to the mix, a passing nod to The Posies, and another song over before it barely began. Will these be faithfully reproduced live or extended to the heavens? Only time and the internet can tell. I Should’ve Known Right From The Start is lyrically self-explanatory but musically a little different to what came before, with a padded drum providing the main hook despite the elegance of its surroundings.

Rock on (Over and Over) is either a clever contextual play on the idea of where they believe they stand in terms of musical history, a twelve-bar riff that references a hundred other songs, a two-minute blast through a tired musical cliché that somehow sounds fresh, or it’s all of these things.

Spring is upon us, in its Northern way, so blast this while you’ve got the cricket on.

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All words by MK Bennett, you can find his author’s archive here plus his Twitter and Instagram