The Twits is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock band Bar Italia, released on 3 November 2023 through Matador Records. It is their second album of 2023, following Tracey Denim. The album received positive reviews from critics. The album title comes named after the Roald Dahl's book of the same name.[2]
| The Twits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 November 2023 | |||
| Recorded | February–March or April 2023[1] | |||
| Studio | Bar Italia's home studio (Mallorca)[1] | |||
| Length | 47:16 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Bar Italia | |||
| Bar Italia chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release
editOn 19 September 2023, Bar Italia announced the release of their fourth studio album, along with the first single "My Little Tony".[3]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[5] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[6] |
| Mojo |   [7] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[8] |
| The Skinny | [9] |
The Twits received a score of 75 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on twelve critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[4] Mojo stated that "a queasy heat seeps into the Sonic Youth hiss and clang of My Little Tony, Jelsy's Bad Seeds metallic thrum and Shoo's slow, high plains drift".[7] Reviewing the album for Clash, Sam Eeckhout found there to be a "profoundly plentiful amount of ideas bouncing around on The Twits, from the uptempo 'straight-ahead' rock songs to eerie-country to the slanted and driving post-punk rhythms powering songs like 'World's Greatest Emoter'".[5]
Skye Butchard of The Skinny wrote that "a few more spins reveal a rare and exciting dynamic between the three members" as "they trade verses, taking songs in new directions, revelling in the tension where their individual ideas intersect". She felt that "the album works in short bursts of adrenaline", which "can leave midtempo ballads like Shoo feeling aimless".[9] The Line of Best Fit's Joshua Mills opined that the band have "thicken[ed] the sound since May's Tracey Denim", which "has paid dividends for The Twits, an album of great texture and detail" as well as "creativity and invention".[6] Samuel Hyland of Pitchfork called it "an attempt to expand on a tried-and-true formula. It's bookish, looking-out-the-window music: foot-tappy and slightly unnerving, best consumed through faulty earbuds you have to hold at precisely the right angle to operate".[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Nina Cristante, Jezmi Fehmi, and Sam Fenton.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Little Tony" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Real House Wibes (Desperate House Vibes)" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Twist" | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Worlds Greatest Emoter" | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Calm Down with Me" | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Shoo" | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Que Surprise" | 3:13 |
| 8. | "Hi Fiver" | 3:54 |
| 9. | "Brush w Faith" | 3:46 |
| 10. | "Glory Hunter" | 3:38 |
| 11. | "Sounds Like You Had to Be There" | 3:13 |
| 12. | "Jelsy" | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Bibs" | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 47:16 | |
Personnel
editBar Italia
- Nina Cristante – production, engineering
- Jezmi Fehmi – production, engineering
- Samuel Fenton – production, engineering
Additional contributors
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] | 15 |
References
edit- ^ a b "The Twits - bar italia". BandCamp. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
'The Twits' was recorded by the trio over eight weeks from February 2023 in a makeshift home studio in Mallorca...
- ^ "Bar Italia just want to have fun". Archived from the original on 24 March 2024.
- ^ Deville, Chris (19 September 2023). "Bar Italia Announce New Album". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b "The Twits by Bar Italia Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b Eeckhout, Sam (31 October 2023). "Bar Italia – The Twits | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ a b Mills, Joshua (31 October 2023). "Bar Italia eclipse post-punk's chasing pack with the mangled glee of The Twits". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Bar Italia – The Twits". Mojo. December 2023. p. 94.
- ^ a b Hyland, Samuel (7 November 2023). "Bar Italia: The Twits Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ a b Butchard, Skye (31 October 2023). "Bar Italia – The Twits album review". The Skinny. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
External links
edit- Bar Italia – The Twits at Discogs (list of releases)