I think that this album speaks to a little part of each of our soul’s, even if you like it or not. When I heard that Twin Fantasy came out, I stopped and thought, “Wait, I remember listening to that album 5 years ago.” Turns out I was completely, and accidentally, right, and that after signing to Matador Records in 2015, the band decided to completely re-record the album and thus it got an upgrade from its original Bandcamp release to an actual album release from a label.
Will Toledo’s Car Seat Headrest defines the 2010’s indie genre with a hard, slapping album in Twin Fantasy. The album is a fine and shining example of the Car Seat Headrest moniker, from the ballad-like Beach Life- In Death to the short hard hitting, short & quick acoustic tune of Stop Smoking (We Love You). Perhaps the album takes a far too depressive approach with its lyrics, constantly referencing women and the lyricists failed attempts with them; but frankly the musicianship of the album as a whole takes away from any wry and unwanted lyrics. And if you’re someone that isn’t annoyed at all by reoccurring lyrics about living and dying, smoking and drinking, and loving and hating, then Twin Fantasy is an album for you.
Cute Thing is probably Toledo’s most introspective song on the album, telling a little story about his life as a failed romantic and musician. Then High to Death is a somber reference to the overuse, and maybe underuse, of drugs, changing his earlier lyrics to “Keep smoking, I love you- and I don’t wanna die,” the song in its entirety a juxtaposition on Sober to Death. Songs on the album give the old avant-garde adage of containing lo-fi audio snippets from Toledo’s old voicemails and miscellaneous early recordings, all well placed in the album. The album concludes with the lengthy (but worth it) Famous Prophets (Stars) and the reflective, bass-led closer Twin Fantasy (Those Boys), a great final song for an album.
Overall, Toledo’s constant vocals over his own, well-mixed guitar riffs, and classic consistent rocking cymbal crashes makes the album a jamming hit, especially considering Toledo originally recorded all the instruments by himself. If you’re into the indie scene lately then you’ve definitely already heard Car Seat Headrest, and hopefully, this album, but if you haven’t, go give it a listen, and I bet it’ll hit home, or somewhere close. 8/10.
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