Last fall Greg Dulli, lead singer of the Twilight Singers, went on a short solo tour of the U.S. and the U.K. in an effort to rev up his creative juices for the next Twilight Singers project. Here we are months later and this indie band from Louisiana has done it again. Five years from their last effort, Powder Burns, Dulli & Co, continue their trademark arena rock that has proved to be a winner in the past and here with Dynamite Steps.
The maturity of this quintet has never been questioned, however many were skeptical as to what Dynamite Steps might sound like since singer/songwriter and longtime collaborator Jeff Klein was not returning for this production. Well, it is safe to say that the Twilight Singers have stayed true to their roots. A pleasant treat on the record is the duet with Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, Ani DiFranco, on “Blackbird and the Fox,” which is definitely worth putting on constant loop.
The Twilight Singers have been around for a while, and there has always been an intrigue with Greg Dulli’s voice and others alike. It is not necessarily the best or soulful but it brings a raw power to the tracks on Dynamite Steps. Singing over a vast array of arena rock sounds, Dulli creates a polished drama on standout tracks like, “Gunshots” and “On The Corner,” a track that shows off his signature crooning.
Dynamite Steps is a sort of defining record for the Twilight Singers and dare say it their best-sequenced record. Every track, from beginning to end, flows and smoothly pick up towards the climax “Dynamite Steps.” Greg Dulli and the rest of the Twilight Singers have impressed over the years by not re-inventing their sound, however by being masters of refining it with every new record.
WPGU Music Staff Rating: W-P-G
Key Tracks: “Gunshots”, “She Was Stolen”, “Blackbird and the Fox”
Recommended if you like: Greg Dulli, Aphgan Whigs, and The Gutter Twins.
W = Poor
W-P = Fair
W-P-G = Great
W-P-G-U = An instant classic!
