Album Review: Twin Haus ‘Waxen Myriad’
Words by Scenewave Oz - Published on May 1, 2014
Daniel Grima croons “Youth is wasted on the young / let’s find another one” in Mark Twain though I’m not sure that anyone could accuse these four guys of wasting their time. After retreating to the wilds of Northern NSW Twin Haus have returned with a six track EP Waxen Myriad sure to set things in motion for the young group. Lush, expansive soundscapes coupled with hauntingly emotive vocals make for a strikingly mature first effort from this Brisbane four-piece. Waxen Myriad is set to be released on 3 May 2014 and follows two earlier singles Lumberjack Loveshack Part I / Part II ( https://soundcloud.com/twinhaus/sets/lumberjack-loveshack-part-i-ii ) that emerged in 2013. The maturity of Twin Haus’ sound belies the fact that all four members graduated from high school just a few months ago. Waxen Myriad is a noticeably developed work for such a young group, traversing a vast amount of emotional ground and displaying considerable song-writing ability.
The production work on Waxen Myriad has allowed for a definite clarity in the sound, despite the thick instrumentation. ARIA Award winning producer Tim Carr ran the desk and has made the most of the intricate and often interweaving melodic lines. Largely written and recorded in dimly-lit rooms, Waxen Myriad is to a degree, reflective of its surroundings. Whilst there are certainly darker elements on display, to my mind, the overall feel of Waxen Myriad is overwhelmingly optimistic. Their sound pays homage to Foals, The Maccabees and Wild Beasts. For whatever reason it seems like these guys have listened exclusively to British bands. The vocal work of Daniel Grima has a clear resemblance to that of Wild Beasts front-man Hayden Thorpe. The earnestness and wavering vibrato make the comparison an obvious one.
Waxen Myriad to some extent at least, follows the path set by the band’s two previous singles, which both seem to be reaching towards something; there’s a certain yearning underlying the majority of tracks on the EP. What that something is might not be entirely clear, but I hope (perhaps selfishly) they don’t find it too soon because their search makes for such compelling listening. Ascending bridges that grow and seemingly unfurl are driven towards the chorus by an insistent rhythm section in the lead single Night Locust. It is this constant forward movement that provides the optimistic element to the release. The structure of many tracks might not necessarily seem intuitive and the melodic evolution in Salvia Dali is a clear example of the complex chord progressions that are so prevalent throughout the EP. However, this isn’t to say that the structure of Waxen Myriad don’t feel right. Rather there’s an unexpected freshness about these unorthodox compositions.
Waxen Myriad is a definite step forward for Twin Haus, demonstrating that they’re not necessarily beholden to a particular sound. To coincide with the release of the EP, this Saturday night the band will be taking to the stage at the Hi-Fi in Brisbane with local psychedelic heroes Shady Bliss and math-rockers Wolver. Tickets are available online and at the door and by all accounts this show is shaping up to be something quite special. The future is bright for these four boys from Brisbane. Waxen Myriad is an accomplished and impressive first effort
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