From England's Midlands,
Twinkie is a band that harkens back to the glory years of underground music, when outfits like
Dinosaur Jr., the
Pixies,
Volcano Suns and
Sonic Youth (not to mention labels like Blast First and Rough Trade) were all the rage. So if putting on the Derby-based group's eponymous debut makes you want to party like it's 1989, it's understandable as evidenced by the jagged indie drone of "Crime" and the downright infectious synth-bleep and guitar-blur of the late-album keeper "Guess the Weight of My Wife the Horse." Both of these songs boast the unisex harmony vocals of bassist/lead vocalist Moo and guitarist/backing vocalist Debbie. If the feedback frenzy of "Mr. Pierre" sabotages most of its melodic allure, the disc's closer puts Debbie on the primary mic for its finest moment. Having the same sort of impact the Kim Deal-sung "Gigantic" did on Surfer Rosa, it's the final sonic chomp of one sweet
Twinkie. ~ John D. Luerssen