The Twilight Sad (EP)

Last updated
The Twilight Sad
TheTwilightSadEP.jpg
EP by
Released14 November 2006 (2006-11-14)
Recorded2006
StudioCaVa Studios, Glasgow
Genre Indie rock, shoegazing
Length25:53
Language Scottish English
Label Fat Cat
Producer The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad chronology
The Twilight Sad
(2006)
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
(2007)

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. [1] 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." [2] The EP was mixed by composer and Fat Cat labelmate Max Richter. [1]

Contents

"That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy", "Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard", and "And She Would Darken the Memory" also appear on the band's debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters , which followed the EP in April 2007.

The EP garnered warm critical reception, with independent music website Delusions of Adequacy praising "the cathartic racket" of the songs as "uplifting and expansive, on the verge of overwhelming with sound, sweeping the listener away from the harsh, earth-bound lyrics and delivery" and hailing the EP as "a bracing distillation of what The Twilight Sad does best, marrying spare to expansive sonics with bitter, sharp, sometimes enigmatic lyrics and a powerful, emotional sing-talking delivery by James Graham, as skeletons are rattled in the old family closet." [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork Media (7.8/10) [5]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]

Pitchfork Media reviewer Marc Hogan awarded the EP a 7.8 out of 10 rating, praising the band's "stadium anthem" technique through "lip-quivering emotion punctuated with explosions." [5] Treble zine reviewer Herbert Vigilla stated that the EP shows the band "have a knack for crafting cathartic, visceral shoegazer anthems." [7] Delusions of Adequacy also praised the band's "structural 'formula'" for the songs as "effective and breath-taking", and James Graham's "stark reminisces and recriminations ... expressively wrapped in his pronounced Scottish accent" and lyrics "rife with vague to pointed accusations, which are parsed out piecemeal, giving room for the listener to imagine a stunted familial environment where relationships are divided into victim and perpetrator, where one person talks to the other and vice versa, conversations in an unhappy home, and a looking back at it all through the distance of time and childhood memories." [3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andy MacFarlane and James Graham; arranged by The Twilight Sad.

No.TitleLength
1."But When She Left, Gone Was the Glow"3:55
2."That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy"4:48
3."Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard"2:37
4."And She Would Darken the Memory"5:44
5."Three Seconds of Dead Air"8:47

Personnel

The Twilight Sad
Recording personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FatCat Records</span> English independent record label

FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that have released music on the label include Sigur Rós, Múm, Animal Collective, Frightened Rabbit, Shopping, The Twilight Sad, Vashti Bunyan and We Were Promised Jetpacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Latest Novel</span> Musical artist

My Latest Novel are a Scottish indie band, from Greenock & Gourock. The band are signed to Bella Union records and released two albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Twilight Sad</span> Scottish post-punk/indie rock band

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.

<i>Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters</i> 2007 studio album by The Twilight Sad

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.

<i>The Midnight Organ Fight</i> 2008 studio album by Frightened Rabbit

The Midnight Organ Fight is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit. Recorded during 2007 between studios at Bridgeport, Connecticut and Glasgow, Scotland, the album was released on 14 April 2008 through independent label Fat Cat Records. Hailed by critics as "one of the finest [breakup records] of recent vintage", frontman Scott Hutchison has described the album as being "a lot more intense" than its predecessor Sing the Greys (2006). Following the album's completion, it took around a month for him to be able to listen to it. The album's title comes from a line in the song "Fast Blood", and is said to be a euphemism for sex.

<i>Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did</i> 2008 EP by The Twilight Sad

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy</span> 2007 single by The Twilight Sad

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And She Would Darken the Memory</span> 2007 single by The Twilight Sad

"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.

<i>Killed My Parents and Hit the Road</i> 2008 compilation album by The Twilight Sad

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.

<i>Forget the Night Ahead</i> 2009 studio album by The Twilight Sad

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Became a Prostitute</span> 2009 single by The Twilight Sad

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Years of Letters</span> 2009 single by The Twilight Sad

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Room (song)</span> 2010 single by The Twilight Sad

"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.

<i>The Wrong Car</i> 2010 EP by The Twilight Sad

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.

<i>No One Can Ever Know</i>

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. The album was produced by the band with assistance and advice from producer Andrew Weatherall, who helped the band in experimenting with analog synthesizers. 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," influenced by artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Can, Public Image Ltd, Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire, Wire, Bauhaus, Magazine and D.A.F.

<i>Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave</i> 2014 studio album by The Twilight Sad

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.

<i>Òran Mór Session</i> 2015 live album by The Twilight Sad

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.

<i>It Won/t Be Like This All the Time</i> 2019 studio album by The Twilight Sad

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".

<i>Òran Mór 2020</i> 2020 live album by The Twilight Sad

Òran Mór 2020 is a live concert album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released as a "pay-what-you-want" download via Bandcamp by Rock Action Records on 26 December 2020. It features only vocalist James Graham and guitarist Andy MacFarlane, together with some programmed drums.

References

  1. 1 2 FatCat Records: Releases: The Twilight Sad
  2. Stereokill.net Interview with Craig Orzel Archived 2012-07-20 at archive.today
  3. 1 2 Dan, Jen (18 September 2007). "The Twilight Sad - The Twilight Sad EP - DOA" . Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  4. "The Twilight Sad - Overview" . Retrieved 22 June 2008.
  5. 1 2 Hogan, Marc (7 December 2006). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: The Twilight Sad: The Twilight Sad EP". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  6. Katz, Dan (6 May 2007). "The Twilight Sad - The Twilight Sad (album review)" . Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  7. Vigilla, Herbert (8 January 2007). "Treble: Album Review: The Twilight Sad - The Twilight Sad" . Retrieved 10 July 2011.