ALBUM REVIEW: Nervous Twitch – Nervous Twitch (Reckless Yes)
Nervous Twitch are a three-piece from Leeds who have been making fuzzy punk-influenced noise for 10 years now. This is their fourth album, but their first for the indie label Reckless Yes.
Cut from the same cloth as the likes of The Lovely Eggs and The Vaselines, they sound a bit like so many bands you know, but at the same time their genre-mashing sound is quite unique.
They parade their influences proudly, having covered songs by The Runaways and Velvet Underground in the past, and their hook-filled lo-fi garage-punk contains elements of everything from surf-rock to twee indie-pop.
Originally a four-piece, Nervous Twitch have been a trio for the last few years. Their line-up now comprises Erin Hyde (bass and vocals), Jay Churchley (guitar and vocals) and Ashley Goodall (drums and vocals).
Their first three albums (2015’s Get Back In Line, 2016’s Don’t Take My TV, and 2017’s I Won’t Hide) were reissued to digital streaming last summer with Reckless Yes, and can be heard on their Bandcamp page HERE.
The album was preceded by three singles – Keeping Faith In Something, Tongue Tied and Alright Lads – and those tasters were a good idea of what to expect; their familiar melodically catchy ‘60s girl group refrains, fuzzy guitar riffs, with a healthy side of ’90s indie-pop sensibility.
Opening track Count Your Blessings, with its grungy guitar and deadpan vocals, reminds me of early work by ’90s indie outfit The Primitives, and then comes Tongue Tied, a heart-on-the-sleeve love song about the awkwardness of being around someone you fancy but being unable to articulate it.
Oh So Keen has dual-tracked vocals in the style of ’60s girl groups like The Ronettes, while Don’t Blame Me, the shortest track on the album at less than two minutes, is like short-lived ’80s indie sensations Talulah Gosh.
The surf guitar is much in evidence on Bag For Life, which is by followed Not Everyone’s Out To Get Me, whose chorus of “I guess I’m not at my best/Fuck you I’m stronger than ever” makes it one of the standout tracks.
Next we get the lead single, the synth-driven Keeping Faith In Something, and it’s easy to see why it was chosen to trail the album. They’re cooking with gas now, and Alright Lads, the most recent single, is a catchy-as-hell Ramones-like stomper. They never sound more punk than on the The Way That I Feel, while the closing Fickle You channels Social Distortion’s Story Of My Life.
Over the course of 12 tracks, the raw garage-punk promise of their early releases is honed into something much tastier. Their sound is familiar, yet like no-one else, and they retain enough of an edge to still appeal. This is a hugely enjoyable album, which improves with every listen. 8/10.
- Nervous Twitch’s self-titled album is available now on limited edition cream vinyl, CD and digital from Reckless Yes HERE or the band’s Bandcamp page HERE. If you choose the latter option, don’t forget to check out their impressive back catalogue too.
