(2.5/5) Lene Marlin’s fourth album poses the problem facing many folk-pop singer-songwriters today – how to stand out in the ever increasing crowd of carbon-copy musicians. Judging from Twist The Truth, ‘standing out’ proves a little difficult for Marlin, sounding as though she’d donned her best Suzanne Vega dress with shoes by Natalie Merchant. Like her last two efforts, it largely consists of formulaic, mid-tempo acoustic ballads, the type heard during ‘emotional scenes’ in US network television dramas. Although the songwriting is sturdy and assured, there are simply too few musical ideas being stretched across the whole album.
That being said, there are moments when we’re reminded why Marlin has lasted so long. Lead single ‘Here We Are’ has the kind of relentlessly infectious chorus that calls to mind her biggest hit, ‘Unforgivable Sinner’. ‘Everything’s Good’ has melodic echoes of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’, with a pretty, understated chorus, and ‘Have I Ever Told You’s welcome change of pace, full of stuttering beats, sitar riffs, and double bass, sounds stunningly modern. Unfortunately, these moments do not an album make, so much so that Twist The Truth is likely to continue Marlin’s once bright star in the descendant.
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Review written for and originally posted on
Wears the Trousers.
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