No One Can Ever Know | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 February 2012 | |||
Recorded | January – March 2011 | |||
Studio | The Pool and Sub Bubble Studios, London | |||
Genre | Post-punk revival, dark wave, industrial | |||
Length | 44:50 | |||
Language | Scottish English | |||
Label | FatCat | |||
Producer | The Twilight Sad, Andrew Weatherall | |||
The Twilight Sad chronology | ||||
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Singles from No One Can Ever Know | ||||
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No One Can Ever Know is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 6 February 2012 in the UK, and a day later in the US. [1] The album was produced by the band with assistance and advice from producer Andrew Weatherall, who helped the band in experimenting with analog synthesizers. [2] No One Can Ever Know marks a shift in the band's "wall of sound" approach towards a darker, more industrial-influenced sound. Guitarist Andy MacFarlane describes the album's sound as "sparser... with a colder, slightly militant feel," [2] influenced by artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Can, Public Image Ltd, Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire, Wire, Bauhaus, Magazine and D.A.F. [3]
The album follows over two years since their previous full-length Forget the Night Ahead in September 2009, and the EP release The Wrong Car in September 2010. The band released a new song, the album's closing track "Kill It in the Morning", for free on their new website and SoundCloud page on 21 September 2011. The first proper single from the album, "Sick", was made available as a 7" vinyl single and digital download on 14 November 2011. [4] The album's second single, "Another Bed", followed the album on 20 February 2012 as a limited edition, hand-stamped and numbered 7" single (limited to 200 copies) [5] and digital download. [6] Although the song was not released as a single, a music video was produced for "Dead City", directed by frequent collaborator Nicola Collins, and premiered online in April 2012.
The album also yielded two companion releases: No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes , featuring remixes from Liars, Com Truise, and Tom Furse from The Horrors; and N/O/C/E/K Tour EP , a limited release featuring alternate and demo recordings. In 2020, the original vinyl LP, after long being out of print, was repressed as a burgundy-coloured limited edition.
While on tour with Errors in October 2010, vocalist James Graham stated in an interview with blog Peenko that "the next [album] is not going to be anything like the first two. [...] The wall of sound is kinda gone. Andy [MacFarlane]'s demos involve a lot of keyboards, and it's a lot more considered." The Twilight Sad's supporting musician at the time, Martin Doherty, also stated that "the band who make the same record over and over don't have a very long career... It's much stronger to make the record you want to make at the time than to try and pander to the people who already listen to your band." [8] The band relocated to London to begin recording the new album in January 2011, where they received production help from Andrew Weatherall. In an interview with The Journal , Graham stated that Weatherall was initially slated to produce the album, but instead provided the band with assistance throughout the recording process and gave the band reassurance in their direction. [9] The Twilight Sad also borrowed vintage analog synthesizers from producer Ben Hillier and Tape Studios in Edinburgh, which provide the core sounds on No One Can Ever Know. [10]
In late January 2012, an exclusive interview with James Graham by webzine This Is Fake DIY appeared online, with Graham providing details for each song on the album. [11] Graham stated that the tracks "Dead City" and "Kill It in the Morning" came from the same demo sessions, which were the last tracks written for the album. "Sick", "Not Sleeping", "Don't Move", and "Don't Look at Me" were among the first songs written for the album, with the latter two acting as a two-part narrative. [11] "Another Bed" was the very first song the band wrote, following the recording of previous album, Forget the Night Ahead . The song caused debate among the band, as it was initially intended to be a B-side. Graham elaborated, "Sometimes a song that you don't think will be on the album turns into something completely different when you record it in the studio... It's probably the closest thing we've ever had to a proper single, although this album is meant to be listened to as a whole and 'Another Bed' is a chapter in the overall theme of the record. It's strange how a song that wasn't going to be on the album is now a single, that's just the way things work out sometimes. I'm glad we decided to have it on the record." [11]
Regarding the album's lyrical content, Graham noted, "It's definitely not a happy album, put it that way. [...] I mean, the themes of the record are kind of tied in with the title – so I'm not going to tell anyone what they're about. I kind of wanted the whole thing to be a story." [12] The album's title comes from a lyric in the song "Dead City".
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (76/100) [13] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B+ [15] |
BBC | (very favourable) [16] |
Consequence of Sound | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Contactmusic.com | (8/10) [18] |
Drowned in Sound | (8/10) [19] |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | (5/10) [21] |
Pitchfork | (7.4/10) [22] |
PopMatters | (7/10) [23] |
No One Can Ever Know was met with highly positive reviews and was featured in many year-end best-of lists of music magazines. [13] In an early preview album review, online website The Blue Walrus noted comparisons to Manic Street Preachers' The Holy Bible and Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral , and finalised that "Some people may think that they know what to expect with a new Twilight Sad record, but if you thought you knew this band, you're in for the shock of your life. This is going to turn heads come early February, make no mistake." [24] Drowned in Sound praised the album as "a third consecutive triumph... one that's best appreciated with uneasy moonlight and sandpaper-on-brain loudness." [19] Dusted magazine wrote in a similarly positive review, "The band that used to build shimmering, gorgeous, barely moving walls of tone is in a hurry to get on now, pushing post-punk style through dystopian, jittery landscapes of romantic disconnection." [25] Crackle Feedback gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, finalising that "Attempting to replace sledgehammer guitar noise with glacial synth is in no way detrimental to this album, it is a new and different approach which, whilst making no obvious attempt to develop on previous styles, adds to their canon an album which contrasts well with its predecessors and shows refreshing imagination." [26] London based entertainment website London24 awarded the album four stars, and called the album "taut, sparse, ominous and occasionally threatening – in the best and most evocative sense." [27]
The Skinny voted the album as the #9 best album of 2012. [28] In an accompanying interview, James Graham stated that, "No One Can Ever Know has opened the door to so many ideas and things we can do musically. ... Our fourth album will be very important in deciding the future of this band." [28] The album was also shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award.
All tracks are written by Andy MacFarlane (music) and James Graham (lyrics)
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Alphabet" | 4:27 |
2. | "Dead City" | 6:26 |
3. | "Sick" | 4:24 |
4. | "Don't Move" | 4:20 |
5. | "Nil" | 5:19 |
6. | "Don't Look at Me" | 4:09 |
7. | "Not Sleeping" | 5:11 |
8. | "Another Bed" | 4:39 |
9. | "Kill It in the Morning" | 5:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
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10. | "A Million Ignorants" | 3:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
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10. | "Tell Me When We're Having Fun" | 5:48 |
No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes | ||||
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Remix album by | ||||
Released | 19 November 2012 | |||
Genre | Post-punk revival, Dark Wave, industrial | |||
Length | 45:40 | |||
Language | Scottish English | |||
Label | FatCat | |||
Producer | The Twilight Sad, Andrew Weatherall | |||
The Twilight Sad chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (66/100) [30] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | (6/10) [32] |
This Is Fake DIY | (8/10) [33] |
In November 2012, FatCat Records released No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes, a collection of remixes of songs from the album. The album features remixes from Liars, Com Truise, Tom Furse from The Horrors, and labelmates Breton. [34] Allmusic reviewer Heather Phares praised the collection, saying "The Remixes is as well balanced as it is eclectic, finding room for tracks that clearly bear the stamp of their remixers, tracks that could fill a dancefloor, and tracks that push the limits of the Twilight Sad's sound even further. That the sequencing gives it a more satisfying flow than many similar sets is a nice bonus, and one that underscores how fitting it is that a collection like this from a band as searching as the Twilight Sad explores what remixes, and a remix album, can be." [31]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Sick" (Brokenchord Remix) | 3:35 |
2. | "Sick" (Com Truise Remix) | 4:40 |
3. | "Nil" (Liars Remix) | 7:46 |
4. | "Not Sleeping" (The Horrors Dub Mix) | 6:56 |
5. | "Alphabet" (JD Twitch / Optimo Remix) | 6:38 |
6. | "Not Sleeping" (Warsnare Remix) | 3:54 |
7. | "Nil" (bretonLABS Remix) | 3:27 |
8. | "Alphabet" (Ambassadeurs Remix) | 4:17 |
9. | "Sick" (Brokenchord Remix 2) | 4:31 |
No One Can Ever Know: Tour EP | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 19 November 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011-2012 | |||
Genre | Post-punk revival, Dark Wave, industrial | |||
Length | 25:53 | |||
Language | Scottish English | |||
Label | Self-released | |||
Producer | The Twilight Sad | |||
The Twilight Sad chronology | ||||
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Following the release of No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes, The Twilight Sad announced the release of the limited edition No One Can Ever Know: Tour EP (stylised as N/O/C/E/K Tour EP). The EP features a new song titled "Idiots" as well as alternate versions of tracks from the album, plus the B-sides "Untitled #67" and "A Million Ignorants". The EP was made available as a digital download included with all orders from the band's webstore, and also as a special handmade CD-R inside a custom-printed cardboard sleeve. The CD-R version was limited to 300 copies [35] and was only available at the band's European shows. [36] [37]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Idiots" (Demo) | 4:16 |
2. | "Alphabet" (Alternate Version) | 4:08 |
3. | "Not Sleeping" (Alternate Version) | 5:18 |
4. | "Untitled #67" | 3:53 |
5. | "Another Bed" (Alternate Version) | 4:52 |
6. | "A Million Ignorants" | 3:33 |
Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # | Notes |
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United Kingdom | 6 February 2012 | FatCat Records | CD, LP | FATCD98; FATLP98 | |
2LP | FATLP98LTD | Limited 2LP on heavyweight vinyl [38] | |||
United States | 7 February 2012 | CD, LP | FATCD98; FATLP98 [39] | ||
LP (clear vinyl) | FATLP98 | Limited edition of 100, available exclusively from the band's webstore [40] | |||
United Kingdom | 19 November 2012 | CD; LP | FATCD99; FATLP99 | No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes | |
United States | CD | FATCD99 |
Andrew James Weatherall was an English musician, DJ, songwriter, producer and remixer. His career took him from being one of the key DJs in the acid house movement of the late 1980s to being a remixer of tracks by the likes of Happy Mondays, New Order, Björk, the Orb, the Future Sound of London, My Bloody Valentine, Saint Etienne, Primal Scream, Moby and James.
Anthony James Sly was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the front man of the punk rock band No Use for a Name. In his later years he also gained attention for his acoustic solo work, with two acoustic split albums he released with Lagwagon front man Joey Cape and two solo albums.
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is a song written by Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and activist Neil Young. It has been covered by many bands.
The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Grant Hutchison (drums). They have released five studio albums, as well as several EPs, live recordings and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, drew widespread acclaim from critics, who noted Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 3 April 2007 in the US, and 7 May 2007 in the UK. The album features production from guitarist Andy MacFarlane and was mixed by Peter Katis. It was recorded over a short period of just three days, and the songs featured were the first ones the band had ever written. The album's influences include Van Dyke Parks, Phil Spector, Daniel Johnston, Arab Strap, Serge Gainsbourg, and Leonard Cohen.
The Twilight Sad is the debut EP by The Twilight Sad, released on 14 November 2006 on Fat Cat Records. The EP was only released on CD in the United States. Regarding its US-only release, former bassist Craig Orzel stated that "the American side of Fat Cat wanted a release to announce our arrival, so they got that. I think the UK side were, initially, more interested in albums than EPs." The EP was mixed by composer and Fat Cat labelmate Max Richter.
Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did is a mini-album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on 9 June 2008. At an acoustic performance promoting the record, singer James Graham noted that the band could have released another single from Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters but ultimately decided to release a fresh batch of recordings instead.
"That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's first single on 16 April 2007 on Fat Cat Records. The title is a reference to the film Stand by Me.
"And She Would Darken the Memory" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's second single on 16 July 2007 on Fat Cat Records. A music video was also produced for the song, directed by Mark Charlton. The track would appear in a re-worked version as the opening track to the mini-album Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did in June 2008.
The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 8 December 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund their tour with Mogwai" in late 2008. The compilation was initially limited to 1,000 CD copies only, and was only made available at live shows, in independent record shops, and at FatCat's official website. The CD has not been repressed, but the album was made available digitally shortly after the CD release, and pressed on vinyl for the first time in November 2019.
Forget the Night Ahead is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 22 September 2009 in the US, and on 5 October 2009 in the UK. The album was produced by guitarist Andy MacFarlane and recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The album features the singles "I Became a Prostitute", "Seven Years of Letters", and "The Room".
"I Became a Prostitute" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the first single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 3 August 2009 on Fat Cat Records.
"Seven Years of Letters" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 19 October 2009 on Fat Cat Records. The B-side of the single is an acoustic cover of British post-punk band The Wedding Present, originally from their 1991 album Seamonsters.
"The Room" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the third single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 5 April 2010 on Fat Cat Records. The song features violin by Laura McFarlane, of fellow Scottish band My Latest Novel, and was the first song to be written for the record.
The Wrong Car is an EP by the Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on 27 September 2010. The EP has two previously unreleased tracks, "The Wrong Car" and "Throw Yourself Into the Water Again", as well as two remixes of tracks from the band's second album Forget the Night Ahead: "The Room" remixed by Mogwai, and "Reflection of the Television" remixed by Errors. In late May 2010, Errors' remix of "Reflection of the Television" was chosen as The Line of Best Fit's "song of the day" and was made available as a free download. In January 2010, The Twilight Sad provided a remix of Errors' song "Bridge or Cloud?", which was posted as a free download on NME's website.
Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave is the fourth studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 27 October 2014. The album was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, with Allmusic summarising the album as "The Twilight Sad transform everything that came before into some of their most compelling music. By blending the extremes of their previous albums, they give intimate moments an epic scope in ways that sound truly revitalized... Equally desolate and majestic, Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave's naked emotions and sophisticated music mark a new high point for the Twilight Sad."
The discography of Scottish rock band The Twilight Sad consists of five studio albums, four compilation albums, fifteen singles, and five extended plays (EPs). The band currently consists of James Graham, Andy MacFarlane, Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Sebastien Schultz (drums). The Kilsyth-based band formed in 2003 and were signed to Fat Cat Records when Alex Knight, co-founder of the label, went to Glasgow to watch the band perform their third gig and signed them on the spot. The band released their debut EP The Twilight Sad in November 2006 in the United States only, followed by their debut album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters in April 2007, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. The album spawned two singles, "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" in April, and "And She Would Darken the Memory" in July. The following year, the band released Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did, a mini-album of reworked versions of songs from Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and two non-album tracks, inspired by stripped-down live performances. A collection of live versions and previously unreleased tracks entitled Killed My Parents and Hit the Road was released in December 2008. The Twilight Sad's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead, was released in September 2009 to further acclaim and marked a shift in the band's direction towards a darker and more streamlined sound. The album produced three singles: "I Became a Prostitute" in August 2009, "Seven Years of Letters" in October 2009, and "The Room" in April 2010. Founding bassist Craig Orzel left the band in February 2010, and the band released The Wrong Car EP in September of that year.
Òran Mór Session is a live recording by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, self-released as a limited edition tour-only CD EP in October 2014. The session was reissued with additional tracks and given a wider commercial release on 16 October 2015 via Fat Cat Records.
It Won/t Be Like This All the Time is the fifth studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Rock Action Records on 18 January 2019. The album is the band's first studio album on Rock Action, and their first since the amicable departure of founding member Mark Devine in early 2018. Three singles preceded the album's release, along with nationwide tours of the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. The album title originates from the lyrics in the song "Sunday Day13".
It Won/t Be Like This All the Time Live is a live concert album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released via Bandcamp by Rock Action Records on 16 April 2020, and via other streaming platforms on 15 May 2020. The album was recorded on the band's short UK tour of November 2019 to promote their album It Won/t Be Like This All the Time, which was released to universally positive reviews in January 2019.