Album Review: “Do Hollywood” by The Lemon Twigs

WRITTEN BY: PAUL BURKE

The Lemon Twigs first crept into the spotlight back in July, following the release of their two singles, “As Long As We’re Together” and “These Words.” From listening to these tracks alone, it is evident that the group is heavily influenced by late ‘60s and early ‘70s bands like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, and even a bit of Queen and David Bowie. However, a more modern similarity I immediately picked up on was to Foxygen.

The Lemon Twigs perfectly fit the Foxygen paradigm: a duo of multi-instrumentalists who have been making music together almost since diaper days, and in the words of Sam France of Foxygen, are “pulling from the sixties.” Once The Lemon Twigs’ debut record, “Do Hollywood,” was officially released in October, it was came as no surprise when I found out that Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado had handled the production.

The Lemon Twigs are comprised of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, hailing from Long Island, N.Y. Just like the singles released a few months back, the group wears its influences on its sleeves throughout the rest of the record, blending soulful Beach Boys-esque harmonies and quick rhythmic changes with the theatrics and dense instrumentation of David Bowie.

The opening track, “I Want to Prove to You,” features each of these qualities, accurately setting the tone for the rest of this exciting, unpredictable album. The verse changes rhythm and tone just nine seconds in, climbing over arpeggiated chords until it busts into the 6/8 chorus. The bouncing keyboards paired with doo-wop backing vocals give the track an extra loving feel. The track continues to build, and just when you think it’s over, the drums kick back into a dramatic, slowed down, rendition of the already grand chorus. Keep in mind that this is all taking place in the FIRST song.

The biggest highlight of the record comes in the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots, right in the middle of the album. This section starts with my favorite song on the album, “Baby Baby,” followed by the two singles, “These Words” and “As Long As We’re Together.”

“Baby Baby” starts off with a simple acoustic guitar progression matched with some sitar-toned synthesizers, telling the story of confusion in Michael D’Addario and his baby’s relationship. “Baby, baby why are you so angry at me, you know I’m not angry at you,” he sings in the building pre-chorus. Just as this line finishes, a wordless chorus begins, carried by an incredibly bright, catchy keyboard melody, along with a few well-placed “da-das.”

For the first two minutes of the song, “These Words” is a fairly simple, straightforward keyboard track. But after the second chorus comes to a close, the drums and piano break off into a jazz interlude, filled with horns, xylophone, and a blistering guitar solo from Brian D’Addario. After 60 seconds of swing, the track comes full circle and ends with a third chorus.

The band takes a very simplistic approach on the next track, “As Long As We’re Together,” featuring nothing but acoustic guitar during the verses. This is later contrasted with an explosive hook filled with fiery guitar leads and almost choir-like harmonies.

This album is by no means perfect, but it is about as much as you can ask for from two teenagers – yes, teenagers. Brian and Michael D’Addario are no older than I am; they are 19 and 17, respectively. Thanks to their youth, there is plenty of time for the brothers to experiment, take risks, and ultimately find their sound. They take many risks on “Do Hollywood,” some that succeed, and some that fail. There are certain points in the album that seem out of place, as though they were just thrown into the mix, making the song sound like a jumbled mess. However, The Lemon Twigs provide more high points than low ones on the album, proving themselves to be a promising young indie act with loads of potential.

Favorite Tracks: “Baby, Baby”; “As Long As We’re Together”; “These Words”; “A Great Snake”

Least Favorite Track: “Haroomata”

The Lemon Twigs will be performing in Philadelphia at Underground Arts on Thursday, January 19. Find their music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and various other streaming platforms.