The release slate is stacked. Although Margaret Farrell made a strong case for Sorry's COSPLAY as our Album Of The Week, this is one of those weeks with many worthy contenders. Fate Euphoric very much belongs in that conversation.
The new album from Nashville duo Twen, out today (because albums should come out on Tuesdays, dammit), is such a delight. It's playful, it's catchy, it's wildly energetic. It knows when to meet your expectations and when to subvert them. As indie rock records go, it's accessible without obviously angling for a pop crossover. There's a whiff of Courtney Barnett's sardonic crunch in there, but a lot more caffeinated. Really, a whole lineage of alt-leaning guitar music is reflected in these tunes, from jangly '80s college radio to the present. It's a crisp, clean collection of tracks from a couple of charismatic weirdos.
In an email to their Bandcamp followers, Twen shared this message:
Pleased to announce our 3rd LP 'Fate Euphoric' is out today. Though independently made, we let the STARS decide when to release this album and found tonight's super moon (the brightest and closest of the year) and it's coinciding with Election-day to be the perfect birthday for this record about FATE (both personal & collective). 10 songs spinning through the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness in this techno-cratic world. We found inspiration in a medieval symbol, the 'rota fortunae'; the wheel-of-fortune with roman-pagan origins. We like to think of each song as a spoke on the wheel. Lady fate blindly spins the wheel as a king sits atop, a dead man at the bottom, and the descent/ascent on either side. Though there's no comfort at the bottom, assurance lies in the inevitable and eventual spin. Impermance is the only solace.
Listen below.
Fate Euphoric is out now on Twenterprises.
