Twerps, The

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Up until now, a large part of Twerps' charm has been their rough edges. There's been hissy 4-track recordings on cassette and 7" vinyl, but now, with their self-titled debut album, there might just be a little bit of growing up going on. Unlike their early manifestos, Twerps was recorded in a bona fide studio, with the help of engineer Jack Farley (Beaches, St Helens). There are the guest appearances, such as sweet harmonies from Super Wild Horses' Hayley McKee and Amy Franz on "Bring Me Down", and the rousing group chorale from members of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Beaches, Panel Of Judges and others on "Don't Be Surprised" and "Who Are You". But it's not just the sound, it's the songs. Tracks like Through The Day and first single Dreamin contain instantly recognisably Twerps elements: the fascination with New Zealand's 1980s Flying Nun era, as well as US bands like the Feelies and Galaxie 500. But they also contain a kind of Australian pop timelessness that harks back to the Go-Betweens and their ilk. This is something new for the band, and it's deep and resonant.