The Twilight Sad - It Won't Be Like This All the Time

Artist: The Twilight Sad
Album: It Won't Be Like This All the Time
Year: 2019
Rating: 88/100

It's been a little over a decade since Scottish shoegaze quintet The Twilight Sad first arrived on the scene with a sonic arsenal that both assaulted and delighted our ears. It Won't Be Like This All the Time is the fifth album in their canon, released on Rock Action Records, a label owned by legendary post-rockers Mogwai. So how does this one stack up?

Well, the album gets off to a strong start with the track "[10 Good Reasons For Modern Drugs]", a heavily layered wall of sound with some stop-start drumming, dense guitars and keyboards from Andy MacFarlane and Brendan Smith respectively, set against the backdrop of the plaintive, mournful vocals of James Graham. Elsewhere, the brightest spots include "VTr", with its strong Brian Eno influences shining through in the music, and lead off single "Videograms" closing the album in fine fashion. 

The Twilight Sad have carved out a reputation for being one of the loudest, most musically intense bands on the live stage, and It Won't Be Like This All the Time embodies this perfectly. The album is consistently strong and the songs are exquisitely crafted. A highly recommended listen.

Track listing

1. [10 Good Reasons For Modern Drugs]
2. Shooting Dennis Hopper Shooting
3. The Arbor
4. VTr
5. Sunday Day13
6. I/m Not Here [Missing Face]
7. Auge/Maschine
8. Keep it All to Myself
9. Girl Chewing Gum
10. Let/s Get Lost
11. Videograms