VANISHING TWIN 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: The experimental supergroup Vanishing Twin - named after its founding member Cathy Lucas' experience of the eponymous "syndrome" after her identical twin sister was absorbed in utero - have kept up a steady stream of danceable dream pop, cantankerous-contemporary-cosmic, and prodding post-punk since at least 2015. Now their newest album Afternoon X seeks again to break the mould, having been built upon "a vast constellation of instruments, samples, and unclaimed sources", conjuring comparisons to David Axelrod and Scott Walker. Though the songs throughout still get at that feeling of janky dreaminess that Vanishing Twin always nail, it's this reclamation of long-disused cultural reference points - a musical-ideal version of squatting, if you will - that makes this album special.

Review: There is, quite simply, so much to like about Vanishing Twin. In many ways they can be your everything, providing that everything is sitting in a room packed with psychedelic patterns, contemplating mind expansion beyond opioids. If you're looking for abrasive sounds, this ain't for you. However, those searching for a woozy combination of 1960s hippy and weird prog folk will find themselves at home.

Even that description feels reductive. 'Light Vessel', for example, sounds like the unearthed tapes from electro-pop year zero. Or not. 'Tub Erupt' is a spy film intro on adrenalin, while 'The Lift' comes across like a religious cult got lost and wound up at Woodstock. Or maybe Woodstock was the cult? Either way this is one of those 'buckle up' jobs.