Published on Dec 31, 2004
Forging a new musical identity is hard, especially when you lose
an iconic central figure to your previous group. In the case of
Morphine, the central figure was Mark Sandman, who created one of
the 1990s most criminally underrated bands. He died onstage while
performing in Rome in 2000.
After touring briefly under the name Orchestra Morphine (a sort
of tribute to Sandman’s legacy), remaining members Billy Conway
(drums) and Dana Colley (sax) came together and created Twinemen.
The signatures of Morphine remained (smoky sax, tight, minimal
percussion), but the lead singer position was occupied by Laurie
Sargent. Many critics and more than a few Morphine fans unfairly
viewed their self-titled debut album as “Morphine with a female
singer.” However, with a few spins, you could hear a new group
slowly emerge.
Sideshow, Twinemen’s second album, continues to sound like a
band still trying to find their strengths and play off them. The
sexy atmosphere and melancholy lyrics that were present in
virtually all of Morphine’s albums is felt all over
Sideshow. However, unlike Morphine’s primarily ‘bass, sax
and drums’ sound, Twinemen incorporates trombone, piano, keyboards,
guitar, harmonica and organ.
The inclusion of so many instruments in their arsenal works in
keeping listeners on their toes for the first couple of listens.
Unlike Morphine’s focused jams, Twinemen is a looser concoction,
drawing comparisons to Ratdog and other jam bands. Some
experiments, such as “Speed of Light” and “Saturday,” would no
doubt sound great on a live stage, but on the stereo, it’s a soupy
mess.
Still, when Twinemen put the focus on the rhythm, they’re damn
near unstoppable. The sexy vibe of “I Slept Through It” and
“Benedict’s Marching Band,” are great testaments that the band will
no doubt eventually be regarded as a separate entity and not
forever be in the shadow of its members former band.
Sideshow definitely has a cohesive feel of an album.
Unfortunately, the most appealing songs are at the beginning and
the band finds itself experimenting more and more as the album goes
along. “A Little Strange” gets things back on track in terms of
rhythm, but Laurie Sargent’s vocals are missing for much of the
second half of the album. Billy Conway and Patina Willshine do a
decent job vocal-wise, but it seems that Sargent just mysteriously
vanishes, like a central figure of a movie who inexplicably
disappears halfway through the movie and doesn’t appear until after
the climax.
For all its imperfections,
Sideshow still is a worthy purchase. Hell, the imperfections
are one of
Sideshow‘s biggest charms. It’s hard to tell what mood you
need to be in to hear this mix of styles. A few scotches, a patient
disposition and an open mind is definitely recommended. At the end,
you are not too sure where Twinemen are headed in their next album,
but your curiosity will no doubt be wetted after listening to
Sideshow.