reviews / 2025

TWIN SHADOW - Cadet

Name: TWIN SHADOW – Cadet
Item: Cadet
Rating: 7
Author: Stefano Fiori

2025 (Cheree cheree)

new wave, pop-rock

by Stefano Fiori

The discography of Twin Shadow, an artist now far removed from the temptations of mainstream as far as the cliques indie that matter, has always been varied, faltering but fascinating in its unpredictability, with every record marked by its own sonic peculiarity. Reinforcing that notion, in March it had gained a new chapter, "Georgie", dedicated to his recently deceased father. An album defined by mournful tones, entirely held up by minimal arrangements, devoid of any percussion and so bare-bones that it almost sounded unfinished, with melodies that, however good, weren't enough to shake off the impression of listening to demos fascinating but not fully realized in their potential.

Calling its successor "Cadet", born almost as a joke in response to those who asked him if he really was so convinced by songs that evanescent, a classic remix album of the previous work would be too hasty a description. Titles changed, tracklist overhauled and a restyling operation that doesn't amount to a simple rhythmic addition so much as a genuine re-imagining of the individual tracks, to the point that it's not always easy to match the new versions with the old ones, for a good half of the tracklist.

What ends up being sacrificed, instead, is precisely the strong sonic identity that had always characterized George Lewis Jr.'s individual projects up to this point. More than ever before, in fact, the record sounds like an attempt to crystallize the most recognizable traits of the Twin Shadow brand, especially those of the celebrated debut "Forget" and, to a lesser extent, of "Caer": that 80s new wave attitude, creaky electronics, the love for the Smiths but above all for New Order and Cure (this time shamelessly name-checked in one of the tracks).

Where songs that were already more lovable before, like "Dominoes/ Totally Blue" and "Bad Times/ Good Times", come out of it sturdier, perhaps even too much so, others like "Awkward Backward/ Maybe It's Time", "Half Asleep/ Emily" and, above all, "Talk More Nice/ Headless Hero" (polished with a brand-new chorus) blossom quite literally, revealing an unexpected single-worthy stature.

It's also pleasing to hear the playfulness bestowed on "The Seams/ As Soon As You Can" and "Deep End/ You Already Know", and the reggae lilt (a nod to the 2021 album of the same name) of "Give It Everything/ Geor(g.i.e.)", though the new guise doesn't necessarily translate into greater immediacy.

"You Are The Reason/ Permanent Feeling", which on "Georgie" was one of the most romantic ballads, is given a downright spectral treatment here, matched by the novel, bewitching darkness of "Love Gentle/ Funny Games"; and finally the long coda of "Real Enough/ Hide It In Attraction" surprises, drifting between ambient, funk, India and Kraftwerk.

Despite its imperfections and despite being a derivative record, "Cadet" still manages to pull off a small miracle. It doesn't aim to replace or make us forget the previous "Georgie", but, by offering an alternative vision of it, casts it in a new light, revealing it and reassessing it. And it does so without giving up shining with a light all its own.

Editor's note: the double titles refer respectively to those of "Cadet" and "Georgie".

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

26/11/2025

Share on

This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Stefano Fiori, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition