Reviews

The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony

On Everything Harmony, the Lemon Twigs transcend their classic rock influences by sounding very of its time and timeless all at once.

2023

From the Archive

Review by Juan Edgardo Rodríguez

Originally published 19 May 2023.

Four albums in, there’s no denying the D’Addario brothers’ commitment to unearthing the past. Now in their early twenties after starting the Lemon Twigs in their teenage years, the Long Island, New York duo of Brian and Michael D’Addario sound more confident injecting their personality into their ’70s-indebted songwriting. In paring down their songs to their barest essentials, they’ve successfully built a cohesive body of work in a way that their previous attempts at creating conceptual rock operas and intricate baroque rock didn’t.

It just didn’t sound authentic to them. The brothers were so intent on aping their influences as cleverly as possible that it came off as too scattershot. It’s worth noting that they once again attempt to change gears with another overly specific musical terrain. Everything Harmony taps into ’70s soft rock balladry perhaps too firmly, as evidenced by the dramatic, strings-laced “What Happens to a Heart.” But for every attempt at being melodramatic, they seamlessly contrast them with the tender, harmony-led acoustic serenades of “Still It’s Not Enough” and “Corner of My Eye.” While most of the album avoids any marked tonal shifts, much to its strength, the duo channels Big Star like they’ve never been able to pull off before on “What You Were Doing” and “Every Day is the Worst Day of My Life.” And while the Jellyfish-recalling jangle pop of “Ghost Run Free” seems somewhat out of place, it’s too good a track to ignore.

On Everything Harmony, the Lemon Twigs transcend their classic rock influences by sounding very of its time and timeless all at once. And while that might continue to unfairly malign them for evoking a period that doesn’t represent them, it’s worth remembering that most contemporary music functions with some degree of imitation. Their enthusiasm truly does show. And with tracks as catchy as these, it’s pretty clear that the brothers have done their homework through the years and then some.

Everything Harmony was released on 5 May 2023 via Captured Tracks.