by Myles Tiessen (@myles_tiessen)
bar italia operates in the wonderful space between art-rock pretension and slacker affability. Their music is too layered, rich, and dynamic to be considered carefree and, at the same time, features too many riffs, hooks, and melodies to be over-analyzed. Beyond being critically bullet-proof, that concoction is all part of what makes bar italia such a wicked band to listen to, and The Twits feels like their definitive sonic statement.
While Tracey Denim, their first with Matador Records, introduced the band to a broader North American audience, the short, punchy tracks were all but too fleeting in their lasting impact. Beyond a few songs like “Punkt” or “Nurse!,” most songs’ brevity ultimately felt like their downfall. However, The Twits pushes the boundaries of bar italia’s little musical box. Diversification within the confines of their raucous, grunge-inspired pub rock makes The Twits an incredibly inspired and measured offering from the UK trio.
Somewhere between the distortion and whirling of destructive sound are ghostly alternative country tunes, brit-pop melodies, and shoegaze brutalism. Beyond that, the allurement of bar italia has been in the vocal interplay between the three band members–Nina Cristante, Jezmi Fehmi, and Sam Fenton–but The Twits takes that consolidation of voices and stretches them to their most dynamic and lively yet. They still carry that same aloof ambivalence that we’ve come to know and love, but this time, it feels particularly considered and appropriately paired within the context of songs. You can feel it on “Hi fiver” as the intentional sibilance of voices starts to morph into one and blend with the heavy crunch of the guitars and propulsive drum kit. It’s an all-encompassing song that, while being a bit more crystalline, feels reminiscent of some Psychocandy tracks.
Other moments of pop levity – such as the standout, anthemic “my little tony” – are paired with boisterous confrontational songs almost demonic in their vigor. The warning shots of “twist” carries the ultimatum intensity of a high-noon gunslinger shootout. “There was sweat mixed with tears/ It was either me or him,” sings Cristante against the backdrop of a minimalist spaghetti western-infused guitar melody. “que surprise” or “Brush w Faith” are jagged, almost mythic in their opaque incarnation.
The Twits was released just six months after Tracey Denim. While this latest project is undoubtedly a level-up, it does feel quickly assembled, but that mellow, effortlessly cool aesthetic of the band is all part of the appeal; they may be slackers, but they are most certainly artistically ambitious.