The Twilight Sad - Òran Mór Session
8/10
2014’s Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave is The Twilight Sad’s best album to date. The Òran Mór Session is a stripped down collection of songs from that set, along with b-sides and a cover. Normally, such a collection shows a lack of ideas or is an attempt to fleece fans of their dosh. Thankfully, that is not the case here. I’ve always liked James Graham’s voice but it has, in the past, been a little over-powered by the band’s post-rock bombast. There is no chance of that here, where the voice takes centre stage. On Last January, Pills I Swallow and, particularly, It Never Was The Same, it is a gloriously beautiful instrument. The album is worth buying just for those three songs. Whilst the piano-led Leave The House is the closest The Twilight Sad’s usual sound, the cover of Arthur Russell’s I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face sounds like an out-take from King Creosote and Jon Hopkins’ Diamond Mine. At times, this does get a little samey and a bit of percussion wouldn’t go amiss. That said, this is well worth a listen and the band deserves credit for stepping out of their comfort zone.
8/10
