The Story Thus Far 2011 Edition: Dynamite Steps/Live in New York by the Twilight Singers

Long gone are the days when the Twilight Singers seemed like a consolation prize to fans distraught over the dissolution of the Afghan Whigs. Originally conceived as an outlet for Greg Dulli between records, it became the singer songwriter's focal point immediately following the breakup of the Whigs. Five albums in now, Dynamite Steps presents a seemingly small but significant shift in artistic vision. If Dulli's modus operandi has been, up to this point, to create audio equivalents to indie crime flicks, then this is his most accessible effort yet. It's popcorn Dulli writ large: a widescreen cinematic vision that's everything you ever loved about the Twilights and then some.

Elements from throughout their multi-faceted career can be found here: the smoky electronic ambiance of Twilight as played by..., the bleak nihilism of Blackberry Belle, the reeling introspection of Powder Burns. More than any of that, however, there' s the virtuostic soulman swagger of She Loves You. Dulli's trouble man punk rock persona is pushed up to eleven here but only for affectation. Instead of being the usual clearinghouse for Dulli's demons, Dynamite Steps really comes off much more as a celebratory showcase for his band. Road tested, rock hard and true, a genuine band seems to have emerged after years of going out and touring these songs night after night. Even though the usual suspects (Mark Lanegan, Petra Haden and Ani Difranco) all still abide, the true glory belongs to this crack team of musicians that have evolved into a fit and trim fighting unit over the last decade.

And while Dynamite Steps is a vastly effective diorama of the Twilight's strong points, their road tested cohesion translates better to Live in New York. Unlike the smouldering to incendiary performances that backed 2006's Powder Burns, this is a band on fire. Punching like a boxer running out of time, they play as if their lives depend on it with the knowledge that any fight may be their last. If Dynamite Steps was an implied threat then Live in New York is their roiling suckerpunch.

"Whenever you're here you're alive," Dulli coos over the simple piano refrain that starts the album, "the devil says you can do what you like." It's "the Last Night in Town" and the simplest sort of exhortation that lies at the heart of his career: do what you want, damn the consequences, damn the torpedoes. And like that, they're off for the next nineteen tracks. It's a marathon sprint through their career, played with more ferocity and deftness than most young bands muster these days. Almost as if to say, they're the motherfucking Twilight Singers and they're not above reminding you every chance they get.

Such self assuredness hardly comes as a shock to anyone familiar with Dulli's career but here it carries over to more than the recording. The sound quality, raw and lacking studio polish, brings a feeling of actually being in the club. And while the lack of overdubs guarantees that flubs are preserved forever, there is a more genuine feeling of who this band is- blemishes and all. That is the epitome of self assuredness.


essential listening:

Dynamite Steps-
Last Night in Town
Blackbird and the Fox
The Beginning of the End

Live in New York-
She Was Stolen
Candy Cane Crawl
Teenage Wristband