I was at the Belfast show where The Twilight Sad supported The Cure, but drummer Grant Hutchison had to sit out the show as he was unwell. Against all of the odds, singer James Graham battled on with just guitarist Andy MacFarlane has accompaniment to produce a stunning glimpse into the raw emotion in their songs. Exposed without the sheer force of their normally seismic sound the fragility in James’ voice became stronger. His between song banter wasn’t “pish” as he declared, it just made us love him all the more. You can find the set on their Bandcamp page, I urge you to check it out.
For album number six It’s The Long Goodbye, James tries to cope with the loss of his mother and the subsequent poor mental health he suffered trying to come to terms with his grief and loss. Band members had to be replaced too, which found Arab Strap player David Jeans come in on drums and live team member Alex MacKay playing bass. They also managed to bring in friend Robert Smith from The Cure to play guitar and six string bass. Self-produced with additional production by Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine) and mixing by Chris Coady (Slowdive), the album sounds gigantic and mighty.
Opener ‘Get Away From It All’ distinctly sounds like The Twilight Sad with Andy MacFarlane’s molten lava guitars that flow with a thick burning intensity. James Graham’s voice weaves his unique style through the dirge, melodic and aching. There’s raw emotion as he asks with desperation “Why you leaving me? Why you slowly leaving me?…You’re my Mother!”. Organs layer up the scorching guitars that drive on the propulsive ‘Designed To Lose’ as James repeats the mantra “This can’t happen to you, I won’t let this happen to you”. The aptly named ‘Attempt A Crash Landing’ features guitars that sound like a jet plane taking off, superbly layered and produced for maximum effect.
‘Waiting For The Phone Call’ finds Robert Smith adding some of his creative might with distinct guitar lines. Graham finds some inner peace with the line “No-one can hurt you now” as piercing 80s filtered synths flicker in and out of the mix. Despite the weight of the lyrics the track has a surprisingly upbeat atmospheric as the end swells with volume and depth. ‘The Ceiling Underground’ rides on a ringing guitar line and gentle tambourine percussion, swirling synths swell the atmospheric like dancing ghosts before the track erupts with volume. When James sings “Here comes your wee boy now, why does he look so down?” it reaches deep into your heart and stomach for a tight wrench.
A caustic guitar burrows through your cranium over the pumping beat of ‘Dead Flowers’ as stunning synths throw Cure-like illumination. As ever James is prone to some great lyrics and the snarky “It’s water off a duck’s back, give me my fucks back” is a wondrously acerbic couplet. Special mention to the MBV sized VRRRRROOOOOOOOM of guitars that swoops in towards the song’s end. ‘Inhospitable/Hospital’ transcends a little from the dark with some lighter guitar lines and euphoric synths that arc into the sky with rays of hope. James opens his heart on the wishful ‘Chest Wound To The Chest’ calling out “I just want to see you again as you were my only friend” and it punches me right in the guts as my own Mother passed away many years ago.
‘Back To Fourteen’ really pulls on the heart strings as James revisits his youth and candidly sings “Don’t take her away from me”, the gravitas towards the darkness enhanced by Robert Smith’s six string bass. Warped guitars and synths twist your brain on the wondrously titled ‘TV People Still Throwing TVs At People’ as James asks “Is it ok to feel this way?” before declaring “I don’t want to feel this way” as confusion surrounds and engulfs. When the taut track finally erupts with a furious wave of distorted guitars it’s like a cathartic release. Truly special.
Like most albums from The Twilight Sad, It’s The Long Goodbye is not an easy listen. It opened old wounds for me. Musically, there’s the dead weight of those heavy guitars that only become lighter when the synths fuse into the mix. James’ lyrics are direct and hard hitting, he holds nothing back. There’s a desperation in his delivery as he tries to come to terms with his grief and loss. However, in doing so, the album truly delivers in terms of emotion and power. Their finest work to date.
