Bringing the old school, to the new age

With a modern twist on an old school mixture of ’70s and ’80s sound, The Lemon Twigs transport the listener back in time to leather skin-tight pants, black eyeliner and stereo surfing in their parent’s station wagon with their new album titled Songs for the General Public. After both developing careers in musical theater on Broadway and performing on The Radio City Hall stage, brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario came together to join forces to create The Lemon Twigs. Based out of Long Island, NY, both brothers share the role of vocalist and guitarist as well as sharing the task of songwriting equally. These brothers have been serving up music since their first album titled Do Hollywood when they were only 15 and 17 years old back in 2015. Two years later, both brothers found themselves performing those songs on the very well known Coachella stage during the summer Coachella Valley Music Festival. Songs for the General Public comes as the D’Addario brother’s third album after their 2018 release Go to School which had brought to light their musical theater roots. 

With rich melodic harmonies resembling that of well-known bands like Supertramp to power chord chugging and vocal powerhouses like The Ramones, The Lemon Twigs give people a 12-track album that serves up pure unfiltered vibes for any listener. With an originally announced release date set for May 1, the band was met with some difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic striking the world which in the end pushed the official release to August 21. This set back did not stop the brothers from releasing the single off the album “The One” back on May 1. It is very clear from first listen as to why this track was chosen to hit the airwaves, tempting listeners to want more; it grabs people right from the start with a catchy airy reverb guitar solo that people will be humming for the rest of the day. The song talks of finding “The One,” but that one person just does not seem to notice and moves on from person to person searching for a love that truly stands right in front of them. It can safely be said it will not be just the guitar solo that will get stuck in one’s head; the vocal melody and the catchy lines of this single will have anyone singing all day, with casual outbursts of air guitar no matter where they are.

The album single “The One” really sets the tone for the rest of the album that is full of extremely catchy guitar and vocals that will put anyone in a great mood. Each song on this album is full of beautifully orchestrated energy, bringing out the soft glam rock mixed with some underground rock and roll. Every listener will catch themselves hitting the repeat button on just about every song on this record, simply hit the shuffle button and every track that comes up to bat is just a rockin’ good time. When one thinks of the Indie-Rock genre, The Lemon Twigs is exactly what comes to mind.

A song that brings out the nature of The Lemon Twigs is the song titled “Leather Together.”  This is the perfect head banging track that combines raging electric guitar and piano along with the perfect glam rock vocals. Even if rock ‘n’ roll is not a preferred genre, any listener will feel the pure energy thats flows powerfully from this mosh pit rager. Another great track off this record is the song titled “Fight.” This track, with the double vocal harmonies, truly feels like the perfect song that would be heard at the end of any coming of age ’80s film.  The warm summer breeze can almost be felt as the main character drives off into the sunset with this song as the soundtrack.

Playing along with the ’80s sound, “Only a Fool” greets the listener with a classic organ synth and hopping drums. The song has a lovely playful nature that will have anyone around succumbing to the music and finding it irresistible to not tap their feet to the beat. After such tracks like “The One,” “Leather Together,” “Only a Fool,” and “Fight,” the brothers give a sentimental performance in their track titled “Ashamed,” the final track.  This beautifully sung song strips down the powerhouse sound, swapping out electric guitars for acoustic ones and bluegrass instruments, at least at first. Slowly, the Lemon Twigs swell in their signature electric guitars, but the sweetness of the vocals remain which brings the album to a perfect close.

With high energy and true musicianship, the D’Addario brothers have really put their best foot forward with Songs for the General Public.