Some Promise But In Need Of More Work
Electro rock with fat beats and repetitive dance lyrics, Twisted Charm are much in the vein of bands like To My Boy with an added Brit punk twisted that takes us back to the likes of The Jam.
Tunes like 'Clone Baby', 'Socialite' and 'Television Nation' flutter with current relevance, but in the end the lyrics are don't go far enough to make the tune anything more than a mid-tempo electro dirge. There's a slight ska element in the hints of brass and heavy reliance on funky rhythms, as well as the simple instrumentation that places more importance on the vocal melody, this is especially evident on, 'Layabout', which probably has typical ska lyrical matter too!
By themselves none of the tunes are bad quality with flashes of warm keyboards and scruffy brass in 'London Scene?' for example adding some interest, but for the most part the tracks run into each other making for a distinctly average album. Although they have some fine sentiments, "Why's everybody so fake, let's all be real", the songs are a little too skeletal and perhaps underdeveloped to advance the message; it's clear that bands like The Specials are a major influence. The blend of icey beats is often a little to distant to really catch the listener's ear, although it has to be said that there are few bands who'd be described as electro punk, something which would certainly fit Twisted Charm.
If the idea of skittering beats with a steely edge excites you, then this band might be for you, but I suspect they're more for the young'uns who didn't know the likes of The Jam and The Specials the first time around.