Review: Moonlight Bride, Twin Lakes EP

Chattanooga-based Moonlight Bride recently released its new EP, Twin Lakes, the follow-up to 2009's Myths.  You may recognize the EP's first single, "Lemonade," from GTI's March 2012 8tracks mix.  The song serves as a perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer afternoon, which apparently is exactly the sentiment the band was going for.  "I wanted it to embody the feeling of being bored in the summer," Justin Giles (vocals/guitar) told Spinner, which debuted the video.

While "Lemonade" is a worthy first single, my favorite from the EP is actually the opening track, "Diego."  The haunting indie rocker charges full steam ahead, as Giles adds vaguely ominous vocals while eerie ooh-ooh-oohs swirl in the background.  Definitely one of my most-repeated songs of early 2012.

Elsewhere, "Versinthe" reinforces why Moonlight Bride often gets described as a noise-pop band, serving as the transition between "Lemonade" and the EP's other summer anthem, "Drug Crimes."  The latter song makes an interesting shift about halfway through, as Giles sings "I'd rather die than let you go."  And as if to underscore the sincerity of that statement, the mood immediately morphs from dreamy indie pop into something that sounds distinctively sinister.

Twin Lakes is an impressive combination of strong songwriting, noisy guitars, and propulsive melodies.  And band isn't done: Giles, Matthew Livingston (drums), Justin Grasham (guitar), and Dave Maki (bass) will begin writing the band's next full-length album this month.  "2012 is going to be a big year for us," said Giles. "We’ve got a lot of music on the way so really this is only the beginning."

Check out the video for "Lemonade," directed by Thomas Ramsay:

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