You might’ve heard from Twin Temple recently for being booted from their support slot with country musician Charley Crockett, allegedly for their occult and Satanic imagery being seen as inappropriate for an all-ages crowd. That’s the gist of it, anyway; there have been responses made and stories revised, and the whole thing ended without any sort of bang. Nevertheless, it’s a bit revealing how stubbornly the idea of unconventional music being ‘demonic’ continues to persevere. Those exact accusations, almost unchanged, have lingered around popular music for over a century, be it in jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal or whatever else. As wishful as it is to hope that conservatives and religious fundamentalists might have changed in the last hundred years, you’d presume we’d have moved on a bit.
What’s funnier is that, ostensibly a doo-wop act, Twin Temple’s particular backlash isn’t even new. Doo-wop was branded as Satanic as far back as the ‘50s, even without what amounts to a slightly spookier coat of paint. Yes, both Alexandra and Zachary James do openly identify as Satanists, but there’s nothing about their output that’s especially ‘corrupting’. It’s obviously tongue-in-cheek, bordering on a gimmick when it’s all shrouded in a “these things don’t go together!!!” aura. They’re romantic songs in an old-timey fashion, with a bit of a macabre flavour to the lyrics. Hard to cry ‘proper’ Satanism when that’s the musical equivalent of Betty Boop in a devil-horn headband, isn’t it?
The kicker is how treating Twin Temple as some agents of evil vastly overestimates what they even want to do. It’s truer than ever on Doomed Lovers, in which the rickety mono recordings of the past have been fully glossed-up and luxuriated. They cite acts like Roy Orbison and The Ronettes as influences, and boast a 37-piece orchestra at their disposal. If their kooky-spooky kitsch was too off-putting, Doomed Lovers ensures that’s of no further concern.
That, therefore, raises the question of what such a severe renovation does to Twin Temple overall. They’re much more poised and professional now, almost unrecognisable when talking in broad strokes. And yet, the primary constant remains—they’re still not exactly pushing the envelope. Doomed Lovers, for all that’s been done up, is still rooted in the formula of ‘old pop with some Halloween-friendly colouring’. It’s not much more adventurous than the slightest Western twang on I Want Blood and Haunt Me, which makes the eight-track, sub-half-hour runtime a bit of a relief. Diversity and flexibility haven’t moved up Twin Temple’s list of priorities, so it’s for the best that they refrain from overextending as much as possible.
Additionally, for the single listen that it takes to get everything you need from Doomed Lovers (two, max), it’s fairly enjoyable. The production is much more appealing, for a start, as you’d expect. There was probably some charm to be found in deliberately weathered and vintage mix, but it could also tilt into cheapness with unfortunate ease. Now, with silky strings and some recognisable depth, any danger of that is gone. It’s all kept so tasteful, too, adhering the difference between ‘opulence’ and ‘richness’. The luxe feel to the title track and There’s Someone In The Walls would be shattered completely by some crashing orchestral wave. Instead, it’s patient and restrained, with a much greater payoff than mere spectacle could achieve.
That said, the appeal of Doomed Lovers is not a deep one. It sounds nice, as does Alexandra James’ voice, and that’s about it. Coupled with its necessary briskness, it’s not an album with a huge amount of staying power beyond—again—the broad strokes. To their credit, it’s not like Twin Temple are fighting against that. They seem very comfortable in this lane of vampiric, romantic melodrama-lite, and as the trifecta of I Want Blood, Love You To Death and Haunt Me prove, new ideas or angles would only get in the way. The title track and Nothing Matters are more melancholy, though that’s not a tremendous stretch, either. Forlorn gothic romance is not a hitherto unexplored theme.
It’s the low commitment that does more for Doomed Lovers than anything else. This is a mid-range album presented and executed as such, and feels that much better for it. It’s certainly not worth any inane controversy might swirl around Twin Temple; if anything, it’s never been less justified. This is bordering on easy-listening, so much so that the bulk of its occult trimmings can be blocked out almost entirely. Perhaps that’s a signifier of Twin Temple losing themselves in the transition to glossier music, but the final product carries enough on its own. A lateral move, it’s fair to say.
For fans of: Roy Orbison, The Ronettes, Orville Peck
‘Doomed Lovers’ by Twin Temple is out now.
Words by Luke Nuttall
