Twin Sister are a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Long Island quintet that do so much so well. Their songs have a remarkable sense of atmosphere and romanticism. They nod at their heroes-- maybe Stereolab and Björk, maybe Cocteau Twins or 1980s pop-- without overtly stealing. They seem to know they are capable of great things; perhaps ostentatiously, they released a trailer for Color Your Life, just their second EP (following November 2008's brief but occasionally stunning Vampires With Dreaming Kids). The EP features six songs, one of which is the instrumental "Galaxy Plateau", a stormy, harmonium-lead bit of futzing that is completely inessential. Even then, it's handled with such grace, it never feels presumptuous. Almost earned.
Twin Sister's singer, the mousily enchanting Andrea Estella, has the sort of breathy, committed voice that untangles knots. It sits all over the mix on Color Your Life, a significant, if not monumental leap forward for the band. Sometimes Estella is high up, as on "Milk & Honey", a wrenching ballad about what so many of their songs are about: the promise of love and the confusing moments at the beginning and end of every relationship. It's a gorgeous song that quakes and quivers before abruptly ending. The respite is brief before they sharply enter the best thing they have done to date. "All Around and Away We Go" is a magical thing, driving and relaxed at once. Pitchfork's Ryan Schreiber recently compared the song to Andrea True Connection's disco chestnut "More, More, More", and despite the seeming incongruity, that's right on. Twin Sister thrive when things are hushed, as on Vampires' arresting "I Want a House" but they seem unhappy with those simple moves. "All Around" takes them to a new and better place.
The rest of Color Your Life weaves in and out with little urgency. "Lady Daydream" is similarly lush, and full of heartfelt declarations-- "If you can't find the sea, I will take you there," Estella sings on the chorus. Seven-minute opener "The Other Side of Your Face" seems to be the unfinished cousin of "All Around and Away We Go"-- it never quite leaves the launching pad. Closer "Phenomenons" is polished and, strangely, almost radio-ready if it had an actual chorus. But that's not who this band is, either. In full, this is a mood record from a band that is still perfecting how to be not-too quiet. Power and volume often come easily to young bands. If things are reversed for Twin Sister, then they probably don't have very much to worry about.
