Erupting onto the Alternative Rock scene in 2005, South Africa’s Civil Twilight has been one of the brightest stars to arise in sometime. Starting as a trio back in High School with brothers, Vocalist/Guitarist Steven and Guitarist Andrew McKeller, along with friend, Drummer Richard Wouters, the band later added Keyboardist/Backing Vocalist Kevin Dailey to round out their band. Possessing heavy influence from U2, Muse, and Jeff Buckley, among others, Civil Twilight grew into their own sound, starting booking gigs, and from those gigs began to raise a buzz. Relocating to the USA nearly a decade ago, the band signed with Wind-up Records and debuted with their self-titled album in 2010. Fortunate enough to get spots on famous television shows like One Tree Hill as well as Nashville, before they knew it they were performing on the main stage at Summerfest, and Austin City Limits.
Altering their sound as they went into 2012 sophomore album Holy Weather, the band attained peak chart positions, and the single “Fire Escape” has become recognized by the masses. Now three years later, Civil Twilight return with their highly anticipated third record released on July 10th via Wind-up Record, titling the new work Story of an Immigrant. Perhaps a title self-reflected of a band which uprooted from a small South African town called Cape Town and moving across the ocean to pursue their musical dreams, their newest release is an eclectic mix of sounds from Folk, to Heavy Rock, to Tropical, and even Electro Pop that fans are going to want to hear.
Kicking off with “Oh Daniel,” the track features a Folk sound that may remind some of Mumford and Sons. Listeners almost expect to hear a banjo and the singer counting the beat, but they do not, and the band keeps everyone on their toes. It is a great start to the album and will get the audience excited as it slowly builds as a strong drum line of Wouters gets louder as the song gets stronger. The follow-up, single “Holy Dove,” takes a completely different sound that has the dark, heavy bassline of a Goth Rock song. It is a powerful piece, with intense vocals, but its deep sound is a total parallel to the previous song and throws a listener into a different mood. From there the song’s sound switches once again with “When, When.” This track is light, up beat, tropical, and tribal. Imagine if The Beach Boys met English Rock band Coasts.
Their first single of the album, title-track “Story of an Immigrant,” is the first fluid transition on the album, keeping up with the tribal influence with bongos and a mellow tempo. This mellowness continues with “Let it Go” where electronic sounds and piano mix with soothing vocals that change beautifully from start to finish. Taking on an almost U2 sound, the track possesses a simple message of releasing troubles and moving on. While some may think Story of an Immigrant had a stride, Civil Twilight once again take the audience for a ride with “River Child,” which features a heavier Electro-Pop sound. With different effects on Steven’s voice, the drums of Wouters shine bright with plenty of changes. Following is “All My Clothes,” having a mellow Techno sound, making it a sensual and personal song. Then there is “The Other Side,” which has a fun guitar riff that is melodious and in the vein of The 1975.
“Didn’t Know When to Stop” and “Only for a Time” follow the diverse sound of Story of an Immigrant with atmospheric guitar work that keep the music quite catchy, provoking the listener to want to press repeat. Ending the album on a sober note, “Love was all that Mattered” is like a lullaby that nestles the listener into a place of comfort and keeps them warm at night. The guitar, and the sound of wind calmly blowing, may remind some of the version of “Strawberry Fields Forever” sung by Jim Sturgess in 2007 film Across the Universe.
Simply put, every song on Story of an Immigrant is a well-crafted piece of music. The vocals are top notch, the compositions themselves are refreshing and cleanly played, but there is just one issue that stops the record from being completely flawless. Although each song is strong in its own right, some listeners may find the tracks do not flow as one record. With that said, Civil Twilight is a band with broad influence, so it makes perfect sense that the styles are so varied on Story of an Immigrant. There is no doubt the band took some bold risks this time around, thus showing they are more comfortable with letting the world know who they really are. What is a band without its learning curve though? It just so happens Civil Twilight’s curve is moving rapidly and it will not be before long that they reach new heights and open even more eyes. CrypticRock gives Story of an Immigrant 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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