Proof that few of us ever know what’s really going on inside another person’s head comes in all sorts of ways. It’s not a secret that The Twilight Sad are one of Robert Smith’s favourite bands (More on that later), so being asked to support The Cure on their Songs of a Lost World tour wasn’t exactly a surprise, although it was an opportunity many groups would’ve given their careers for.
Behind the scenes however things were taking a darker turn. Singer James Graham’s mother had been diagnosed as having dementia, and that combined with other mental health issues led to a decision to withdraw from the tour’s North American leg. In the meantime their seventh album had been in gestation since the lockdown era, with Graham and guitarist/arranger Andy MacFarlane swapping ideas despite now being remote to each other.
Balancing grief with the contrasting emotions of getting married and becoming a father, as a result It’s the Long Goodbye comes Graham freely admits “From a place of raw emotion”. MacFarlane’s response has been to turn the band’s wall of sound up to 11, opener GET AWAY FROM IT ALL thundering, whilst Smith guests on WAITING FOR THE PHONE CALL, BACK TO FOURTEEN and the gothic splendor of DEAD FLOWERS. It’s a temptation to try and wall off the stories from their host, but when on the closer TV PEOPLE STILL THROWING TVS AT PEOPLE the singer can do no more than choke out ‘I keep hiding/In My nightmare’, not knowing what’s going on behind the glass is no longer an option. It’s the Long Goodbye aches with loss and grief, but somehow is still the most uplifting moment of The Twilight Sad’s career.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 