Twigs & Yarn sound right at home on Japanese label flau, and some of the sounds on this album were recorded while one of its members was living in Japan, but they’re actually from Austin. The duo utilizes homemade instruments, found sounds and field recordings along with ethereal vocals, static/glitch sounds, and general loveliness. “If I Were An Artery” has a minimal drum machine and bass pulse framing the sample collage into more melodic, songlike territory. Most of the rest of the tracks use rhythm more freely, ranging from acoustic free-folk to tracks which break into a crunchy, non-linear beat only when they’re ready. “Rosy Cheeked Pumpkin” begins with the sound of a music box, is loosely guided by a loop of a plucked bassline, and features all sorts of whispering voices hidden in the architecture. It’s no wonder Nick Zammuto of The Books mastered this album, as there’s such subtle, intricate use of found voices and melodies, but at the same time it doesn’t really sound like The Books. It doesn’t quite weave together a narrative the way the Books did, and it’s much more interested in creating dreamy soundscapes than The Books’ comparatively more poppy collages. To be honest, I prefer what Twigs & Yarn do much more; they keep the tempos low or abstract, and it’s more conducive to get lost in.
