Kyle Hamlett never ceases to surprise me. His work as the primary songwriter in Lylas changed astronomically over the period of releases from 2003 to 2017. You’d expect any artist to grow and change over time but the first Lylas release to the last is a very different beast. His 2019 album Nowhere Far was released under the name “Kyle Hamlett Uno” – possibly a wry nod to the solo nature of the endeavor but also a clever way of signaling future collaborations. Since the release of that album he’s played various shows as Kyle Hamlett Duo, Kyle Hamlett Trio or Kyle Hamlett Quatro depending on how many collaborators joined him.

With “Expected Of“, he’s making the Kyle Hamlett Duo moniker official. The other in this particular case is Luke Schneider, Margo Price’s pedal steel player, a virtuoso ambient musician and easily Nashville’s most entrancing light show. The track is the first peek into a full-length album entitled Tape Diamonds set for release on August 26th, 2022 via Arrowhawk Records.

As with any lead single, it’s hard to project what the entire record will sound like but there’s a magical interplay between Hamlett’s contemplative baritone vocals and Schneider’s guitar work. There’s a feeling of rural folk music at the core of the track layered through elements that are more modern and often downright sweet.

We’re looking forward to the record release; not just for the promised cover The Smiths “Death of a Disco Dancer” but for a deeper peek into the collaborative efforts of two of Nashville’s finest.

Much will be made of the story behind One Stop Shop, the sophomore album from Twen. Rightfully so, as the band’s history is a pretty intriguing one. Back in 2016 they released a live EP, got picked up by Frenchkiss records for their debut Awestruck in 2019, released a bunch of great videos, toured a bunch and then… went off on their own. One Stop Shop is a completely DIY undertaking; written, recorded, produced, and marketed entirely by the band. Plenty of artists take on each of those responsibilities but few are able to do so to the impressive degree that Twen has executed. From the moment they kicked off the first single for “HaHa Home,” they’ve been cranking out high budget videos and promo posters worthy of framing. In short, it’s all extremely put together to a quality level that seems nearly impossible to achieve even if you did have a whole team behind you.

Of course, the story of the record is only meaningful if the record itself is captivating and we are overjoyed to report that One Stop Shop delivers in spades on that front. The bevy of singles that came before the album release – “HaHa Home”, “Dignitary Life”, “Bore U”, “Feeling in Love (From the Waist Down)” – could have easily been the sole album highlights but having the context of the full record, they might as well be randomly plucked songs from the album. Any combination of these tracks would serve as a sufficient enticement to dive deeper. Album opener, and the titular track, “One Stop Shop (For the Fading Revolution)” combines a buoyant guitar with lyrics seemingly about the frustration of trying; politically and personally. “Brooklyn Bridge”, found on the later half of the record, mellows the vibe with mournful lyrics, proving the band spent plenty of time maturing their sound.

Put quite simply, One Stop Shop is an immersively captivating listen from start to finish, full stop. The amount of work to write, produce, record and promote the songs is likely an unfathomably large undertaking but the results were certainly worth it. The record channels (among many things) psychedelia, underground BritPop, modern pop radio and blends them all together into a decidedly unique Twen sound. Put it on your Best of the Year nominees list and make sure you listen to it obsessively.

Very happy to premiere “Something Happened,” the first single from a brand new Smart Objects EP slated for release in September. If you’re a regular reader of the site, you know we are big fans of their debut album and we’re happy to report that it’s a safe bet that we’re going to be equally devoted fans to the new EP.

“Something Happened” packs in plenty of energy right out of the gate and continues to build on it throughout the course of the track; complete with a captivatingly affected guitar solo, jump-along chorus and an ending triangle strike that couldn’t be more delightful. It’s been mentioned in other reviews but rock music is increasingly difficult to make interesting in 2022. Maybe it’s a personal subjectivity but, on the whole, the genre tends to sound pretty rote. Fortunately, Smart Objects consistently avoids these pitfalls by embracing a grab bag of sounds. There’s plenty of driving guitar and pounding drums but piano twinkles, delightful vocal performances and layers of sound that reward multiple listens.

We’re only one track into the new EP but it’s a strong showing. We’re told the next single may even contain more surprises and we’re looking forward to seeing the band continue to expand its palette.