Less than six months after their Matador debut »Tracey Denim«, which was received with a certain euphoria, the London trio follow up with »The Twits«. Named after the book by Roald Dahl, which describes in great detail how disgusting the main characters are and how they behave, Bar Italia, on the other hand, tastefully selects the most delicate pieces of alternative rock from past decades, especially British rock from the 1980s and 1990s. Fast-moving tracks like the opener »My Little Tony« are reminiscent of Primal Scream and The Stone Roses, while others are more reminiscent of The Cure or My Bloody Valentine, with a nod across the pond to Sonic Youth and The Breeders. The fact that the three of them usually take turns on the mic during the songs is first of all quite charming and secondly prevents Bar Italia from becoming merely stereotypical. While earlier songs rarely lasted longer than two minutes, Bar Italia now take a lot longer, which doesn’t really benefit all the tracks. All of this makes »The Twits« a mixed bag, with memorable moments and catchy melodies juxtaposed with more disposable elements, ultimately proving that »style over substance« is in no way derogatory.
The Twits
