The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know – The Remixes

With No One Can Ever Know showcasing a cold electro minimalism, The Twilight Sad confidently stepped outwith their self-imposed confines earlier this year. This remix album offers further evidence that the Kilsyth trio went in the right direction. Com Truise, Optimo and Tom Furse of The Horrors are notable contributors whilst Liars, a stated influence on the parent album, return the compliment with a brooding take on the already desolate and emotional Nil.

Whether by happenstance or design, it’s a cohesive collection of key-drones, bouncing electronica and glitchy vocal snippets, disarmingly pooled from just four original songs. Yet whilst Furse’s chugging ambient slant on Not Sleeping is a welcome change of tack and Breton’s buzzing, percussion-led take on Nil gives some necessary anchorage via singer James Graham’s unmistakable burr, there’s a somewhat constraining blueprint that eventually emerges. Overall though, it’s a solid example of the often-derided remix album, buoyed by what was an excellent reference point in the first place.