Civil Twilight

Civil Twilight | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wind-Up
• ASIN: B0038FI7SQ
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,067 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

You may have already heard Civil Twilight's music on shows like "Harper's Island", "One Tree Hill", and "House." Now, their debut self-titled album has arrived, drawing inspiration both from their home country of South Africa and from the rock music they grew up listening to out of Europe and North America.

The three lifelong friends - brothers Steven and Andrew McKellar and Richard Wouters - who make up Civil Twilight have been playing music together since they were teenagers growing up in Capetown, South Africa. Now calling Nashville home, the group is releasing its first full-length on Wind-up Records. With its eerie, Thom Yorke/Jeff Buckley-like falsetto and sense of romantic doom, the first single "Letters From the Sky" oozes with sensuality. From the dramatic flourish of "Anybody Out There," with its plea for communion, the Beatlesque melodies-meet-grunge dynamics of "Next to Me" and The Police-like world beat of "Soldier" and its chilling depiction of wartime, the moody "Save Yourself" and the wide-screen canvas of the closing "Quiet in My Town," Civil Twilight envelopes you in its multi-layered sound and vision.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's good-don't get me wrong..., April 20, 2010

By 

J. R. Borntrager "<--- Likes ramen" (MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Civil Twilight (Audio CD)

Lyrically, this album is amazing. I personally am always one to read the lyrics to songs and, as an aspiring songwriter, it's a treat to see the different styles of different artists. It always is fascinating to read what someone else wrote in regards to music, and this was no disappointment. It seems that the lyrics for this album are very well written and very poetic. Honestly, this is the highest point for me on this cd and is the main reason the album got three stars, because the other contributing factors to the cd didn't hold up as much.

The guitar work on this cd is very similar to that of Edge from U2. Setting that aside, the guitar sounds so similar in every song it's almost unbearable. After "Letters From The Sky", the band goes on autopilot for a while (which is roughly one half of the cd). Not until the song "Quiet in My Town" does the album change pace really in terms of guitar work (or anything else). This makes for a frustrating listen because so many songs sound so similar.

Okay, now that I've gotten the great things and mediochre things out of the way-let's talk vocals. Vocally, the singer for this band is impressive. Heck, to be fair-the guy is a great singer, BUT the vocals were something on this album I could NOT stand. Again, the first four tracks on this album are phenomonal, but once they get into that five or six song slump, the lead singer comes across as just enjoying how great of a range his voice has in the upper registers. He also has this method of singing I will tentatively call "Asthmatic Singing". It's as though he needs to draw in a huge breath before...every...woooooooooooooooooooord-every WOOO-ohh-oo-OORRRRRRRRRD... (If I could type the way he "sings" through most of this album, THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.)

Truly, I do appreciate his talent for singing. But the complaint here is that it's the same way for every song (for a majority anyways). Long, "breathy" notes that switch in pitch all over the place with him essentially murmuring the words. The worst part is, they have such FANTASTIC lyrics, but they get lost in the singers whiney (there, I said it) asthmatic singing. Maybe he does have asthma and I'm being out of line here, but until facts prove otherwise, it got old very quickly.

This band has a LOT of potential, they really do! This cd is a solid effort, but the formula they used for 75% of the cd goes like this:

1.Ambient intro
2.Light piano+ singer singing in lower register
3.Drums kick in with solid beat (vocals get a little louder)
3A.IMMEDIATELY after the 1st (or 2nd) verse, guitars come crashing in with drums and lead singer begins his long...LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOOOOOng NOOOOOOOOOOOOTES...in the upper register and just freewheeling wherever he wants
4."Crashing guitars and drums/lead singers breathy long notes" subside for 2nd (or 3rd) verse, then resume crashing after said verse
5.Light piano-ey outro

In conclusion, you have an alright debut, with tracks like "Letters From The Sky," "Next To You," and "Anybody Out There" carrying most of it, but the next album from them will hopefully be stronger and stray from the formula they used so much on this one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SO FREAKING AWESOME! Stop thinking about it, and just buy it., October 19, 2010

By 

Spencer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Civil Twilight (Audio CD)

I happened to see these guys as an opener to a concert I recently went to. Funny enough, I liked them a lot better than the headlining band that night. The next day I ran out and bought their album with no hesitation. I could not be more pleased. Steven McKeller (singer, song writter, bass, and piano) is a musical genius in my opinion. The sound these guys produce has a unique way of slowly creeping into your ears, and next thing you know you are hooked. Their sound is kind of hard to describe. If I was to throw a few bands out there that I feel have the comparable sound I would say it is a mixture of the modern flare of bands like Kings of Leon, Carolina Liar, and Muse with the UK inspired mellow sounds of bands like U2 and Coldplay.(just a "flavor" comparison, not saying they are better or worse than any of the named bands.) In all honesty, the first two times I heard "Letters from the Sky" on the radio I thought it was a U2 song; no joke.

As a debut album, they really gave some great songs. "Letters from the Sky" is a very solid song, but is not all this band has to offer. My favorite keeps jumping around as I continue to listen to the album. The current track I"m most hooked to is "Trouble", which is a slow builder ballad with those infamous slow and creeping bass riffs that sound almost reminiscent of the 80's. "Solider", "What You Want", and "Anybody Out There" are also supreme upbeat songs on the album. "Next to Me" is a good (slightly sappy) love song with a very catchy tune. Wouldn't doubt it if you saw this number hitting the radio or being used on something like a tv show in the near future. And on the slower, more melancholy side of the album, "On the Surface" and "Human" are great.

While I somewhat agree with other reviewers that the first half of the album is better than the second and that the pattern of the songs seems kind of the same from song to song; I do have this to say as well. I only feel that way about the first part of the album, because I literally cannot get myself to skip past the first tracks to even listen to the latter half of the album. The first tracks are just that good to me. It is not that the end is bad, the first is just too good to not keep listening too. And as far as the whole repetitive pattern goes; well I say if it works well, stick with it. I could care less for a song being differently mixed up just for the sake of being "different" if it ends up being total garbage. While Civil Twilight may have a pretty consistent formula for a number of their tracks, at least they are just that; Consistent. I for one am giving them the chance to still branch out a bit more in the future, keeping in mind that this is only their first album.

All in all, these guys are awesome and once again give me hope for new bands and new music. For anyone out there like me who was beginning to feel the proverbial wells of good/creative/original modern music drying up, come have a taste of Civil Twilight; you will not be disappointed.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Landmark Debut From Stand-Out New Band, May 23, 2011

By 

10boom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Civil Twilight (MP3 Download)

BUY THIS CD. I don't normally take the time to review albums, but this record is really important; it has had the privilege of ushering in one of the best new bands to come along in quite some time.

Civil Twilight is the sort of band you tell all your friends about and feel a sense of disbelief and superiority when your friends don't know who they are yet. Typically, successful debut albums fall into the category of being an album offering up a band with a familiar sound and a successful single along with another ten or so less-than-memorable tracks. Occasionally, a band comes along offering more than just one or two "successful singles" but instead a whole new sound and experience found in listening to no other band. This is that band. While this record does offer an arsenal of great songs, it offers something more. This isn't the band you hear and shelve with the rest of the bands you've heard and like; they make your top ten list; they get your attention and maintain it. See them live, and you'll realize quickly just how privileged you are to be a part of the first few to support this band.

The band is a three-piece outfit out of Cape Town, South Africa comprised of brothers Steven and Andrew McKellar and longtime friend Richard Wouters. Steven McKellar, who switches between bass and piano, is the lead vocalist, and his vocals are of the top class in the music world; many listeners have compared him to an early Bono, but I prefer to put Steven in a class of his own where other vocalists are compared to Steven. His brother Andrew is, for many, the standout musician of the group; listening to the record, you'd think there were at least two guitarists, but watch him in action, and you'll see that most of Civil Twilight's signature sound originates from this one man. Not to be forgotten, the incredible Richard Wouters' drumming (along with Steven's powerful basslines) gives the record the infectious beats that will have you jamming away to every track. This trio is certainly a rare breed and one not to be overlooked.

As for the record itself, I must say that like any record, it comes with a variety of tracks with a variety of different sounds; with that being the case, not all of the tracks may be to your liking on the first listen. Some will stand out to you right away, and others may take re-listening, but more than likely, you'll come to love this debut album from this incredible band through and through. Whether you end up loving all fourteen tracks or just most of them, you'll definitely get your moneys worth in the album's length. The biggest standout tracks (for me) include their most popular single so far, "Letters From the Sky", as well as opening track "Anybody Out There", the upbeat anthem-like "Soldier", the piano-swooning "Next To Me", the infectious "Trouble", and the climactic "Quiet In My Town".

You don't want to miss out on this band nor this incredible debut album. And don't stop with the purchase of the CD; after you fall in love with this album, buy a ticket and see them live. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. :)