Slim Twig – Thank You For Stickin' With Twig

Slim Twig’s first new material since signing to DFA is a cheeky middle finger to the popular canon. Literally: after he’s done chastising Beatles fanatics and poking fun at the Rolling Stones, Twig hashes out a gloriously overwrought rendition of Serge Gainsbourg’s Cannabis – itself a skit on the egregiously overplayed Pachelbel's Canon. Complete with a textbook false ending, hammy drum fills and a saxophone duet, it’s a fitting climax to a kitschy, indulgent album that’s charming despite itself and pegs Twig as a modern day Captain Beefheart. 

Still, there’s limited value in pastiche for pastiche's sake and thankfully Twig aims for more, though it’s not always clear what. While Fog of Sex, with it’s refrain “nothing’s set in stone”, is a straightforward and agreeable breakdown of gender fluidity, Red Roll Red Roll is a purported tribute to the notorious Steubenville high school sex scandal that’s hard to parse and feels a little too cursory. Even so, his intent is good natured and remains so throughout.