Alligator Years

Twinsmith released their inaugural self-titled album in 2013. A lot has happened in the two years since then, and their sophomoric followup, Alligator Years, shows a development of both musical ability and the band’s own personal life.

There is an upbeat nature to the first half of the album as it focuses on these romantic ballads about love and getting the girl, although with track titles like “Is It Me” and “Shut Me Out”  it’s more about questioning the decisions of life than just recklessly falling love. It has that bubbly and pop-ish music; the kind you listen to in the park on a bright and sunny day while on a picnic with your significant other.

As the album goes on, however, the tracks slow down and get a bit more somber as the love that was very persistent in the beginning is essentially gone. There’s a definite progression in the album, and you immediately feel that the whole thing is about the ups and downs of a single relationship. It’s something we can all relate to, and the music complements the lyrics well.

Alligator Years has a very personal feel to the album, and seems like a window into a brief period of Twinsmith’s career. It’s an album that should be experienced in numerical order. There’s a flow and progression to it that adds to the whole experience. If you isolate just a single track, you’re gonna miss out on what the album has to offer.