Do you ever stumble across a sound that you didn’t know you were missing? It feels like running into an old friend, warmly nostalgic and slightly embarrassing as you both say ‘so good to see you, we should stay in touch, grab a coffee, etc.,’ as if in this age of constant communication there weren’t already a thousand missed opportunities to do that. So, you kinda saunter away from each other replaying the encounter in your heads and reflecting on a fond shared memory. In this case, I ran into shoegaze that puts rock forward with the crunch, distortion, and delay on riffs instead of washes of reverb. The driving and hard-hitting drums and the solos hit me with a sense of familiarity and enthusiasm that I haven’t felt for a while. The band is Richmond, Virginia’s Twin Drugs, and oh, hey! check out their latest music video for “Oscar Winner”.
“Oscar Winner” jumps right into the fuzzed-out psych rock atmosphere. Drums motorik their way to the through while the ‘gazed guitars push a driving riff that feels like surf-rock ate a sativa gummy and started ranting about conspiracies (in a fun way). This sound conjures memories of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Swervedriver, and No Age, but remains distinct in its execution, immediately ramping Twin Drugs way up on my mental list of bands to pay attention to. Twin Drugs have always had their rockin’ moments, but “Oscar Winner”, the title track of their latest EP, feels more direct and focused. Their textures of sound help Twin Drugs stand out from the shoegaze revival crowd, layering guitars and little sonic details that make the experience feel immersive, and then the beautiful stoner-rock solo hits. This is a straight up banger, and the video’s washed-out trippiness complements the song perfectly.
Check out Twin Drugs‘s newest EP, Oscar Winner for the full effect. The title track closes out the tight 8-minute release like a runner crossing the 5k finish line, arms up in victory. The EP marks a focused and exciting new step in the band’s career, and I am eagerly anticipating more material in this direction. Which reminds me, I should make sure to follow their Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp so I don’t lose touch with this sound, again. My bad rockin’ shoegaze, thanks for still being here!
