Twin Shadow – Confess

George Lewis Jr., or more commonly known as Twin Shadow, returns with his particular brand of 80’s revival jams in his new album, Confess. Most of us were won over by the nostalgic melodies and melancholy lyrics from Forget, his first album released two years ago. It’s safe to say that this sophomore release has all that and a lot more.

Right from the get go, “Golden Light” starts the album with a real slow build accumulating to a powerful chorus that just teases you on what’s to come. Two songs later, you are blasted with the punchy “Five Seconds,” which makes you feel like you are in a montage from a John Hughes movie. The album dips from these real fist-pounding rock riffs, to more sorrowful songs like “Run My Heart” and “Mirror in the Dark.” You can feel the lonely crooning, paired with the reverb guitar and high pad synths that make for powerful pieces. The one thing I would comment on about this album is that after a full listen, the lyrics begin to feel a tad repetitive. But they still end up working for the genre. The lyrics aren’t necessarily profound, but the emotion and feeling are all there nonetheless.

The whole album works as a very interesting first listen, one that might not leave you absolutely in love with it. But if you give this album that second or third listen, I can pretty much guarantee you will be blasting Confess in your headphones as you bike down the street as fast as you can. So far the album of my summer, this release couldn’t have come at a better time.