The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know

New York brotherly duo The Lemon Twigs haven’t slowed down since their 2023 LP ‘Everything Harmony’; just a year later, they’ve returned with a delightful feast of retro-pop goodness in latest album ‘A Dream Is All We Know’. Lead single ‘My Golden Years’ begins proceedings, opening the magical portal that is the outfit’s saccharine Willy Wonka-esque wonderland of sun-drenched pop and heavenly harmonies. The Lemon Twigs’ delightful rollicking joy-ride of pop really is an antidote to melancholy here, with ‘Sweet Vibration’ – and its candy-coated loveliness – feeling akin to frolicking through fields of blooming flowers in spring, while the effervescent fun doesn’t let up on ‘They Don’t Know How To Fall in Place’, which boasts merry Beach Boys-like pop for balmy days down the boardwalk.

Whether exploring more ‘60s West Coast psychedelic sounds in ‘If You Are Not Wise’, or meandering towards the more mellow with the otherworldly folk fantasy ballad that is ‘Ember Days’ – while album closer ‘Rock On (Over and Over)’ channels their inner T.Rex, with some glorious, glam-tinged rock n roll – ‘A Dream Is All We Know’ is like a love letter to the greats of music past. Overall, it’s a testament to the world-class songwriting of The Lemon Twigs that at no point does the record fall into the realms of ‘too much’. For most, it would be hard to strike that balance, but The Lemon Twigs absolutely master the art of crooning sugary pop-rock in the best of ways.