THE LEMON TWIGS: photos and setlist of the concert at Estragon in Bologna – Rockon.it

Photo by Giulia Troncon

Following 2023's emotional Everything Harmony – which The Guardian called “totally perfect” and The Needle Drop's Anthony Fantano revealed his most-played song of the year – A Dream Is All We Know features brothers Michael and Brian D' addario (ages 24 and 26) explore upbeat, shimmering arrangements that live in an imaginary space they call Mersey Beach: the sonic bridge between Liverpool and Laurel Canyon.

Leaving behind the nylon-string arrangements of Everything Harmony, A Dream Is All We Know revisits some of the styles the brothers first introduced on Do Hollywood, pairing the theatricality of the Lennon-McCartney songbook with contemporary narratives , explosive electric guitar riffs, sunny harmonies and ingenious recording techniques from the Wilson family.

With nearly a decade of songwriting behind them, A Dream Is All We Know clearly demonstrates the D'Addario brothers' growth from doe-eyed teenagers eager to make music reminiscent of their heroes to young men with a keen attention to detail and multi-instrumentalist skills. The band has shared stages with Phoenix, Bleachers, Arctic Monkeys and their musical hero Todd Rungren, garnered praise from Elton John, The Zombies, Gerard Way, Iggy Pop and developed into visionary songwriters and arrangers whose work is itself a source of inspiration for other artists. Recorded entirely with vintage equipment and mixed and mastered by Brian and Michael themselves, A Dream Is All We Know finds Lemon Twigs playing with a newfound sense of intuition after years of perfecting their craft.

THE LEMON TWIGS

Following the release of Everything Harmony, which garnered acclaim from Questlove, Iggy Pop, Anthony Fantano, The Guardian and countless others, Lemon Twigs – the New York rock band led by brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario – have once again captured the attention of the musical public. They are in the phase of their premature “comeback,” and returning so soon has its advantages: the brothers have the energy of 24 and 26 years old, as well as the experience and songwriting ability of seasoned musicians, having recorded their first album, Do Hollywood, nearly a decade ago at ages 15 and 17.

Released less than a year after their last album, A Dream Is All We Know is a joyous work. As the title suggests, this is not a sober look at the dark side of life, but rather a journey of hope into the realm of dreams. The tone has moved away from bleak melancholy ballads and moody power pop. Brian and Michael are revisiting their 1968 sound. This album is closely related to Do Hollywood, but their writing and recording techniques have improved dramatically over the course of five albums.

The brothers combine elements of the Merseybeat sound, California Beach Boy harmony sound and Bubblegum to create a unique collection of pop nuggets. (They say it's part of a new “Merseybeach” movement, which is sure to gain traction, although that remains to be seen.)
The sense of urgency that pervades lead single “My Golden Years” comes partly from jangly 12-string guitars and driving drums, but also from the anxiety of a narrator who feels his “golden years” slipping away from him . Michael's line, “In time I hope I can show all the world the love I have in mind,” can serve as a mission statement for the entire collection of songs, as the brothers race against time to create what as much quality pop material as possible.

“They Don't Know How To Fall In Place” pushes the album towards bubblegum heaven with its euphoric harmonies and stinging clavinet, while the Roy Wood-inspired 'Church Bells' takes you on a journey in its two minutes and nine seconds in duration. With each passage you are introduced to a new instrument, and as Michael sings “ring goes the bell”, the drummer switches to the ride cymbal bell and the song reveals itself as a pop poem, complete with cellos, mandolin and trumpets, all played by Brian. Not to mention the fun pun on the Mersey, with the use of the name of the famous drummer Ringo in a song that combines images of the West Side of Manhattan with the atmosphere of Northern England. The titular “A Dream Is All I Know” follows, a space-age existential epic, followed by the baroque pocket-prog of “Sweet Vibration.”

Featuring the songwriting skills of a lost era (somewhere between the Brill Building and 10452 Bellagio Road), the new record was carefully arranged and produced entirely in analog at the brothers' recording studio in Brooklyn. Most of the songs were built with the two brothers exchanging instruments and layering all the parts themselves. One of the exceptions to this rule was “In The Eyes Of The Girl,” co-produced by Sean Ono Lennon at his studio upstate New York, where the brothers recorded drums and piano while Lennon handled bass . Additionally, the brothers add multi-layered harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, Four Freshman and Free Design.

The second side's opener, “If You And I Are Not Wise,” finds the brothers channeling the Everlys' close harmonies as they seek spiritual enlightenment with the line, “I wish someone would tell me what my soul knows that I don't know ”. Brother Brian says: “There's definitely a tendency towards escapism on this album. Joyful music can take you out of the world when things get too heavy, which everyone needs sometimes.” ”

“How Can I Love Her More?” it's a whirlwind of flights of musical fancy. Ringing horns and strings set the scene, before the song settles into an upbeat shuffle, complete with two drums, an adventurous bass part, theremin, flutes and harpsichord. It's an approach to cooking, full of left turns, but never bordering on cacophony. We move straight into the peaceful and more spartan “Ember Days,” underpinned by a meditative nylon-string motif that's part bossa nova, part Nick Drake. But the peace doesn't last long, because “Peppermint Roses” explodes with a menacing Farfisa in a nightmarish two-part comedy that leaves no respite. The album closes with the dreamy “I Should've Known Right From The Start.” It's like a forgotten piece of French pop that happens to be sung in English, complete with arpeggiated acoustic guitar, melodic bass and catchy drum hooks.

While the album is full of progressive pop ideas, it closes with an ode to early rock and roll in “Rock On (Over and Over).” “Rock On” contextualizes the band as part of a rock and roll lineage that has never stopped. In every decade there have been groups that have put their own stamp on music and have “pushed it to the limit”. But no one has done it with the attention to detail and raw talent of these brothers. For The Lemon Twigs it took almost a decade before critics and audiences gave them the major recognition they have earned in the last year. While their early records were praised for their musical proficiency, the brothers' latest records communicated their ideas with greater clarity and emotional resonance. In other words, “it took us too long to say 'rock on'.”

Click here to see photos of The Lemon Twigs in Bologna (or browse the gallery below).

THE LEMON TWIGS: the Bologna lineup

1. My Golden Years
2. The One
3. In My Head
4. What You Were Doing
5. Church Bells
6. If You and I Are Not Wise
7. Any Time of Day
8. I Wanna Prove to You
9. Foolin' Around
10. Peppermint Roses
11. They Don't Know How to Fall in Place
12. A Dream Is All I Know
13. I Only Did it 'Cause I Felt So Lonely (The Choir cover)
14. Ghost Run Free
15. I've Got A Broken Heart
16. You Are Still My Girl
17. You're So Good to Me (The Beach Boys cover)
18. How Can I Love Her More?

BIS

1. Corner of My Eye (Brian solo)
2. When Winter Comes Around (Brian solo)
3. I Can Hear The Grass Grow (The Move cover)
4. Rock On (Over and Over)