We're A Crowd - The Twang Single Review

The Twang

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Single Review

Taken from their forthcoming third album '10:20' (released 5 March), The Twang's latest single was written during last year's city riots across the country, and hitting a stone's throw from the band's studio in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. But whilst its title 'We're A Crowd' may suggest something of a rousing football chant, the actual content of the song is more about melody focus than any call-to-arms.

There have been indications for awhile that both musically and lyrically The Twang were in a state of progression. Maturing, in terms of life experience as much as age, have cast the former loud, baggy lads of the West Midlands into the role of the amiable godfathers to the likes of up-and-coming Brummies such as The Carpels and Peace. They haven't so much 'lost' the cut-and-thrust of their debut album that was honed on the likes of 'Either Way' and 'Wide Awake', as developed and broadened out.

'We're A Crowd' contains both The Twang's raw, punch-in-the-mouth strike, but tempered with a softer edge than of old, on say a song like 'The Neighbour'. Although not a direct reference to the troubles of last summer, part of the feel of those times has filtered through into both the album, and this track. Opening on a gentle guitar riff, it builds nicely on a mid-tempo rhythm, punctuated as ever by Phil Etheridge's distinctive spoken-sung vocal, and co-vox Saunders providing the melodic harmony on the catchy chorus line of 'This is our town/and we live here/This is our town/and we're a crowd'. Digging its grooves into all the right places, The Twang may not have a number one hit on their hands, but there's still a lot to like here. Backed with two original B-sides, 'Y.O.Y' and 'Heart To Heart', give it a few listens and you'll probably wanna be in their crowd too.

Alex Litton