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Mar 16, 2015 Twin Shadow By Scott Dransfield

Almost a year ago, Twin Shadow (aka George Lewis, Jr.) released “To the Top,” a sonically massive, emotionally direct ballad that foretold a new direction for his in-progress third album. Lewis’ first two LPs contained ‘80s-inspired New Wave at its finest, pressed through a smoky filter of brooding theatricality. “To the Top” excised some of that flavor, but it also happened to be one of Lewis’ best songs to date. Its overt nature worked in its favor. Now, after the release of a handful of bold singles, the canceling and subsequent rescheduling of a huge tour, and a move to a major label, Lewis is unveiling LP number three, Eclipse. If you’ve followed his stream of new music over the last year and a half, Eclipse is pretty much what you’ll expect: slick, pretty, and a bit generic.

“Generic” here basically means Eclipse follows the trend of ‘80s-influenced pop that has flourished over the last decade or so. It’s a sound Lewis himself helped bring to popularity with his first two albums, except this time around some of the jagged edges have been sanded off in favor of emotional appeal. It’s not a bad move; opener “Flatliners” sets a dramatic and effective tone with its plunging synth bass and slinky mood. The rest of the tracklist flourishes with accessible and catchy emotion as well.

Ideally, Eclipse will achieve a broader reach for Twin Shadow. That’s clearly what Lewis is going for with this release. Overall it’s a triumph, but one can’t help but anticipate what he’ll do next, if nothing else because Eclipse plays it a little safe. (www.twinshadow.net)

Author rating: 6.5/10