Twin Haus may be from a city called Queensland, but this Australian band sure does come off as a group of Indie/psychedelic rock kings with their latest ep Nothing Lavish. (Excuse the really cheesy pun I just made there.)
A four piece ensemble, Twin Haus released their sophomore EP on March 22. It features 4 tracks that are sure to put you into a psychedelic trance. The first track from the EP, “Synthetic Egg” definitely caught me off guard with the title, but I was definitely intrigued as the soft guitar kicks off the song. I was almost certain that gentle vocals would follow, but I was surprised to hear a voice that is much deeper than I imagined would accompany the music.
As the first minute of vocals go on, they seem to get even deeper and a pulsating beat lingers in the background as more instruments join in. There’s an abrupt change in pace almost 2 minutes into the track that provides a bit of relief from those slightly intimidating vocals and changes into something a bit higher pitched and more tender. The song features many vocal-free segments in its 9 minutes that truly let you be engulfed by the instruments and appreciate every aspect of this track. It may only be the first one on the EP, but it surely makes you want more.
The second track, “Self-Love,” starts off with less “boom” than the first, but it gently eases you into an upbeat tempo that lasts for the entire 2 minutes and 19 seconds. Although I was awaiting the introduction of the lyrics that never came, I didn’t mind their absence — the beat of the song kept me extremely calm. It’s almost like you feel the drums pulsating through you and the guitar vibrating in your ears.
“I Used To Think” gives off a very Incubus-like sound in the first minute and features echoing vocals that seem to fade into the background at the end of each line. The drumming keeps tempo throughout the song and manages to stay upbeat and consistent without fail. The song lasts almost 6 minutes but doesn’t lose momentum at any point. It’s a consistently good track.
Twin Haus Ends Big
The fourth and final song on the album, “The Revue,” has the most psychedelic sound of all, and I think I can attribute that to the vocals. Very retro sounding, they mix well with the steady guitar number, staying in tune throughout until there’s a change in tempo a little after two minutes into the track. The beat picks up and rapid drumming ensues, making your head spin just slightly.
The track slows back down numerous times in the 11 and a half minutes that you get to experience it, but again, there’s not one dull moment throughout. Just as you get comfortable in the calm vibes of the song, you’re thrown back into the up-tempo trance you won’t want to get out of.
In the best of ways, Nothing Lavish is a complete roller coaster of an album.