Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters

by The Twilight Sad

Overview

The Twilight Sad are one of the more conventional-sounding bands on Fat Cat -- that is, if cathartic, widescreen rock augmented by accordions and melodies rooted in Scottish folk can be called conventional. Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters expands on the searing, earnest sound of the band's self-titled EP; indeed, several of the Twilight Sad's best songs are also highlights here. "That Summer, at Home I Became the Invisible Boy" just might be the band's definitive song: guitars shimmer and build up into poetic squalls; James Graham's appealingly thick Scottish burr imbues lyrics like "Kids are on fire in the bedroom" with tenderness; Mark Devine's powerful but nuanced drumming cuts a swath through the melody but doesn't overpower it; and accordions add an unexpected, homespun warmth. "And She Would Darken the Memory" is another standout that underscores the similarity between the Twilight Sad's sound and the luminously anthemic side of the Walkmen or Interpol. However, the Twilight Sad have a more free-flowing approach than either of those bands, especially on the stunning "Talking with Fireworks/Here, It Never Snowed," which comes in like a lion with torrents of drums and guitars, and goes out like a lamb with a sparkling, hypnotic guitar melody. "Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall So Hard" is a gorgeous glimpse of a song that fades in and out, suggesting that it goes on forever, a feeling echoed by the instrumental title track, which closes the album with more of the wonderful atmosphere that makes the rest of Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters accessible, but ultimately far from conventional. The density of the Twilight Sad's sound evokes wide open spaces, yet the louder they are, the more intimate they sound -- these kinds of paradoxes make this album a powerful debut. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	02/18/2022
Label:	Fatcat Records
UPC:	0600116995513
Rank:	38057

Tracks

1. Cold Days From the Birdhouse
2. That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy
3. Walking for Two Hours
4. Last Year¿¿¿s Rain Didn¿¿¿t Fall Quite So Hard
5. Talking With Fireworks/Here, It Never Snowed
6. Snapped by What Surrounded Them
7. And She Would Darken the Memory
8. I¿¿¿m Taking the Train Home
9. Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Twilight Sad   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Paul Savage   Engineer
Peter Katis   Mixing
Alan Douches   Mastering
Jesse Baccus   Mastering
Craig Orzel   Group Member
Andy MacFarlane   Composer,Group Member
James Graham   Group Member
Mark Devine   Group Member