Album Review: Twin Shadow - Confess

Confess, the second album from Twin Shadow, could be adequately summed up as safe. It isn't a bad album, but considering the excess of bands echoing '80s nu-wave sensibilities currently, it is a little disappointing to see George Lewis Jr. didn't strive to create something that was a little outside of his comfort zone. Instead Lewis seems to have placed his focus on fixing the weaker elements found in his debut Forget. The result is a stronger album than his debut, and it is clear when listening to Confess that Lewis has created a better album, just not an entirely different one. Taking reign of producing duties this time around was a good move, as this creative control at least makes Confess feel like an album Lewis wanted to create – the lingering synths are used with purpose, the dependable drum beats successfully tie down most songs, and Lewis' vocals appear a lot more confident. First single Five Seconds embodies all of the strengths Lewis has worked on. It's catchy as hell and the melody bounces away in your head long after it finishes. However it teeters on the edge of being a good song to being a great song, and that is frustrating. You just want to yell at Lewis to amp it up a bit.

It's songs like The One and When The Movie's Over that let down the album considerably. A little drab, they both rely primarily on vocals, and in both songs Lewis has exaggerated his Morrissey similarities, to the point where it almost sounds like he is taking the mickey. Revivalism is all and well, but these songs sound like they were pulled from a dusty '80s vinyl collection and given a bad face-lift.