Album Review: Jagwar Twin’s lucius lullaby
You might not know it but you have probably already heard something by Los Angeles-based musician and producer Roy English. Before going solo in 2015, he was a member of the bands Dead Letter Diaries, Eye Alaska, and Canary Dynasty. Since then, he has produced Lana Del Rey’s 2014 singles “I Can Fly" and “Big Eyes” - the latter featured as the title track for Tim Burton’s film of the same name. He also co-wrote and featured on Alesso’s 2015 single “Cool.” Subject to Flooding, his debut album as Jagwar Twin, was released in 2018 and he has toured with Thirty Seconds to Mars, Avril Lavigne and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Even if all of that has passed you by, then the chances are that you will have heard 2023's “bad feeling (oompa loompa)” which was a top 40 track in the US. And if by some remote chance, you have never heard anything by English, then you should and the new album lucius lullaby, released on 27th March, is the perfect place to start.
From the music-box like opening of “the circle (lucius version)” to the final notes of the bonus acoustic version of “bad feeling,” the tone of lucious lullaby is uncanny - homely and familiar on the one hand and yet unsettling and disturbing on another. The catchy and well-crafted instrumentals contrast with unnerving lyrics and vocals in a way which is reminiscent of The Eels and The Alvanches. “bounce” has strong undertones of NSYNC but with a darker edge whilst “city of angels” is not the love letter Los Angeles that it initially might appear to be. The whole album has a Burton-esque feel, like a walled-up porcelain doll.
The press release for this album describes Jagwar Twin’s music as “a Rorschach test. How you perceive the music depends on what you’ve experienced, where you’ve been, and who you are.” I would also add ‘how you are feeling.’ If you want, you can stay on the surface, singing along to the pop melodies that threaten to become your latest ear-worm. If you’re feeling a bit darker, you can revel in the oddness, the weirdness hidden in the sunshine. Either way, there is lots to enjoy!