Two Guys are two brothers:
Cameron Jones, the younger, on guitar and vocals, and
Ryan Jones, the elder, on drums.
Recorded is sweet, sentimental pop with passionate, emotional, and at times dramatic twists and turns.
Two Guys have taken cues from previous bands that
Cameron Jones had toured with,
Thingy and
Pinback, especially the structure style of
Rob Crow.
Recorded has many key changes and honest, straightforward lyrics. The majority are relationship songs that deal with females, along with a couple of boredom-themed types thrown in for good measure. At times,
Cameron Jones sounds vocally like
Matthew Sweet. The time changes and tight stops in "Empty" enhance the structure along with the controlled chaos at the end of the track. The math rock style continues in "Beach House Hangover," with the clean guitar picks following crazy time changes. There is a nice, long setup to the lyrics. The switch to distortion is always contained and the lo-fi drums never get too buried, much like a less-aggressive Wicked Farleys. The vocals of
Cameron Jones are nicely mixed and work well with the music. "Fantasies" attacks and showcases the drummer a bit more. Both musicians are proficient on their instruments, but blend the vocals well to make the focus the song and not the individual playing. "TV" has a
Shudder to Think feel.
Two Guys never steer totally clear of the pop. The thickness that they create has a pop edge to it, much like
Built to Spill or
Quasi. With only two people in the band, the sound of the record is full throughout. Usually,
Two Guys give up wonderful breakdowns amidst the time changes, giving a release to the tension. The record moves around enough so that one doesn't get bored, but not too much, where one can't focus.
Recorded is an interesting and solid debut from Portland's
Two Guys. ~ Francis Arres