Credit: Photo by John Anderson

Twin Shadow

Zilker Park, Sept. 17

Twin Shadow couldn’t be more aptly named. The Brooklyn quartet’s music balances on the threshold of dark and light, mimicking the early afternoon sun and threatening dark clouds above with a sound that seemed torn in two directions. George Lewis Jr.’s vocals and lyrics swoon with a dramatic romanticism yet remain constantly countered by the upbeat 1980s pulse longing for a cathartic dance floor. Delivering songs from last year’s debut LP Forget, they opened torquing “Shooting Holes” into a moody jam that rolled through “Tyrant Destroyed.” There are tinges of both the National and Morrissey in Lewis’ brooding, but closer touchstones may be the breed of such bands as Montreal’s Stars and the Dears, who also cut their angst with a grander, more conflicting sound. At times the dichotomy breaks a bit uneven, as with “When We’re Dancing” or “At My Heels,” but the more powerful percussion of “Yellow Balloon” and smooth closer “Castles in the Snow” found the fulcrum.

This article appears in September 23 • 2011.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.