Review: Twin Stranger's newest single 'Sweat' challenges our media-centric world in a soundscape of alternative rock
Reminiscent of Talking Heads and Roxy Music, Welsh power pop group Twin Stranger are set to redefine the nuances of genre and revive a modernised interpretation of retro sounds. This four piece began as a bedroom recording project, but over time have evolved into a full live band led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Alex McConnachie.
Since 2020, the group have been releasing singles and one full-length EP 'Carefully', before now returning in 2022 with their latest work 'Sweat.' Jumping right into their fantastically sweet, twanging riffs from the get-go, 'Sweat' is nothing short of the perfect dance-along anthem with a hint of nostalgia brimming under the surface. A soft yet dominant drum beat keeps a steady, if not rather fast, pace to lead you through the perfectly construed experience the track is set to up to take you through. Taking synth elements that make 'Sweat' feel all the more haunting and lost in time, it's clear that frontman Alex's involvement within the sound of the track has not gone amiss in even the smallest of elements that eloquently curate such a cohesive overall listening adventure to appreciate each nuance of mesmerising guitar to the dreamy vocal performance. Each bombastic hook takes you through another avenue of rhythmic fusion between a multitude of genres. Topped off by Alex's intimate yet steady vocals, it's an absolute joy to listen to 'Sweat' over and over again like there's no tomorrow, and it's a feat to the band to have created such an easily replay-able and repeatedly enjoyable song that sees no boundaries.
Outside of its haunting soundscape, 'Sweat' details quite a powerful stance in its lyricism. Challenging the listener on our media-centric world and social media conformities, lines like 'Revised photo in your magazine, is that what you want to believe?' serve to remind audiences that not everything is as it seems in a world so fabricated and central around capitalist agendas. From online marketing that sets up unrealistic beauty standards within heavily altered images, to the simple loneliness and loss of self the online world brings, 'Sweat' makes sure to pull apart every slither of immorality the media proudly sells in an attempt to not only bring these issues to light but also enlighten audiences to the ways they are misled. It's a narrative that is not only uncommonly heard, but it's also obscurely paired with an uplifting, almost twinkling soundscape that sets you up for warmth whilst perplexed by the underlying matters. Whilst it could be a coincidence, we love that this stark juxtaposition parallels the fleeting thrills of social media and the media's contorted views whilst underneath there's a deeper message to be uncovered.
If Twin Stranger sound like the newest hit you've been dreaming of finding, you can check out 'Sweat' for yourself here it out here for an experience like no other!
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
Photo Credits: Tom Damsell
