no more cool ‘93 is the new release from Twelve Gardens, an alternative rock duo from Portland, Oregon. Chetty b. plays guitar and sings and Katie k. slaps the drums, whipping up a storm of lo-fi goodness that swirls around vocals sometimes quiet and sometimes not. Fans of Baby Mollusk, etc. will find lots to like.
‘ficus’ opens the album with slow, reverbed guitar and a trotting drum beat and vocals that raise in intensity but never crack the sense of dreamy calm. ‘23’ is a lo-fi rock song that deals with young-adult confusion and the solace that can be found in having time to figure things out. “I worry that I have no idea what I’m feeling like / maybe I know but it’s hard to admit what I’m feeling like”. ‘bicycle’ is short and sweet and less heavy than the previous track, reminiscent of Free Cake For Every Creature.
“Would you believe me
if I told you that you meant the world to me?”
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1784701393 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=4034497083]
‘no more cool’ rattles around with a big reverby alt-rock vibe as Chetty delivers the title in little yelpy bursts across a ramshackle and noisy chorus, while ‘belly’ dials back the messy lo-fi in favour of something a little more focussed, gathering towards something that feels almost cathartic:
“and i wanna be honest but i need more confidence
and i’ve got reasons to believe
that i will never quite say it right
and i’ve got reasons to believe
that i care for you”
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1784701393 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=2920258527]
‘Spaceship’ rushes off at breakneck speed, like punk rock for nice people who just want to be friends, before the album finishes with the charmingly lo-fi ‘les yper-sound’, all plaintive vocals background “la la la la”s.
no more cool ’93 is a great little release that I’m really glad didn’t pass under my radar. You can get it on cassette or digital download via the Twelve Gardens Bandcamp page.
