A remake of 2011's "Twin Fantasy", 2018's version is an interesting concept of an album that goes over better than many would probably expect.
Right off the bat, it is apparent that Will Toledo has scrapped the old lo-fi sound of 2011's original album in favor of a cleaner, more well produced, sound. Thus, those who were turned off by the admittedly very static dominating 2011 version of the album should give this new concept a chance. All their other basic foundation aspects of the album remain, however.
Some smaller changes have been enacted, such as extending certain songs, and changing and swapping around some lyrics. This is usually done for the best, especially during the spoken word sections of songs.
The sound still manages to be fresh throughout, reaching all new highs in various parts of the album. Walls of clean synths and guitars invade your senses and create tangibly euphoric moments that the lo-fi muddiness of 2011's album could not similarly reach.
Overall, if anything bad can be said about this remake, it's that it has lost its original youthful charm. In 2011's "Twin Fantasy", Toledo sounded nervous and innocent; almost scared of the genius he was about to put out. Now, especially after Teen's Of Denials' artistic masterpiece, Toledo sounds confident and loud. Though it is ultimately up to personal opinion, this can be seen as lacking for the overall message of the album, as a nervous teen works better for the lyrics than a more confident man.
Toledo's aptitude for melodies and hooks transcends all his albums, and thus is most apparent on "Twin Fantasy" as well. The cleaner production furthermore serves to make the lyrics even better, as they are more powerful and in the moment of the music.
"Twin Fantasy" is an album about Toledo's teenage years, relationships, angst, and coming to terms with one's own sexuality; thus, the cleaner sound serves to make it an even more relatable album for many who listen.
The best part of the album, hands down, is "Famous Prophets", which aches on in several movements, seeming to radiate through one's bones in a way that very few indie rock songs can really do.
As compared to Toledo's more recent release "Teens of Denial", it is hard to say which is the better album; only that both are some of the most unique and enthralling indie rock masterpieces of the decade. Toledo is an individual to look out for even more in the future of indie rock, and has shown this once again with the fantastic remake of his 2011 first musical masterpiece.
