The Lemon Twigs

Shows Are Standing Room Only​Following the release of Everything Harmony, which garnered acclaim from Questlove, Iggy Pop, Anthony Fantano, The Guardian, and countless others, The Lemon Twigsthe New York City rock band fronted by brothers Brian and Michael DAddariohave once again captured the attention of the music listening public. They are in their premature comeback stage, and coming back this early has its benefits; the brothers have the energy of 24- and 26- year-olds, plus the experience and songwriting chops of seasoned musicians, having recorded their first album, Do Hollywood, nearly a decade ago at ages 15 and 17. Set for release less than a year after their last album, A Dream Is All We Know is a joyous affair. As the title suggests, its less of a sober look at the darker side of life, and more a hopeful sojourn into the realm of dreams. The tone has shifted away from dreary melancholic ballads and moody power pop. Brian and Michael are revisiting their 1968 sound. This album feels closely related to Do Hollywood, but their songwriting and recording techniques have vastly improved over the course of five albums. The brothers combine elements of the Merseybeat sound, the California Beach Boy harmony sound, and Bubblegum to create a unique collection of pop nuggets. (They say its part of a new Merseybeach movement, sure to catch on, though that fact remains to be seen.) The sense of urgency imbued in lead single My Golden Years comes in part from the jangly 12-string guitars and driving drums, but also from the anxiety of a narrator who can feel their golden years slipping away from them. Michaels line, In time I hope that I can show all the world the love in my mind, can serve as a statement of intent for the whole collection of songs, as the brothers race against time to create as much quality pop material as possible. They Dont Know How To Fall In Place propels the album forward into bubblegum paradise with its euphoric harmonies and biting clavinet, while the Roy Wood inspired Church Bells takes you on a journey in its two-minute and nine-second run time. At every turn youre introduced to a new instrument, and as Michael sings ring goes the bell, the drummer switches to the bell of the ride cymbal and the song reveals itself as a pop tone poem, complete with cellos, mandolin and trumpets, all played by Brian. Not to mention the fun Mersey pun, using famous drummer Ringos name in a song that conflates images of the west side of Manhattan with the atmosphere of northern England. Next comes the titular A Dream Is All I Know, an existential space age epic, followed by the baroque pocket-prog of Sweet Vibration. Equipped with the songwriting chops of a lost era (somewhere between The Brill Building and 10452 Bellagio Road) the new record was carefully arranged and produced entirely analog in the brothers Brooklyn recording studio. Most of the tracks were constructed with the two brothers swapping instruments and layering all the parts themselves. One of the exceptions to that rule was In The Eyes Of The Girl, co-produced by Sean Ono Lennon in his upstate New York studio, which had the brothers tracking drums and piano while Lennon handled bass duties. On top of that, the brothers add multilayered harmonies that bring to mind The Beach Boys, The Four Freshman, and The Free Design.