Twine’s Jagged ‘Cleaner’ Will Puncture Your Eardrums

Twine. Photo supplied.

Kaurna/Adelaide quartet Twine have just released their new single, Cleaner, and you won’t want to be tricked by the name. This song is a rough, ragged and rip-snorting bit of fuzz, and it’ll drip off your brain cells like oil leaking out of a car. Rather than being able to tell the individual parts of the track apart, you’ll listen to them as a whole, and they’ll evolve before your very ears.

The emotion in lead singer Tom’s voice throughout the song is what cuts through most, which isn’t an easy feat. The wall of guitar only accentuates his pain, and from the fuzz emerges melody. I think Australia has always had bands that made noisy rock really well, from the likes of Eddy Current Suppression Ring to Royal Headache and TV Colours, and Twine, to me, are making music that I can see joining that echelon of acts sooner rather than later. For a debut single, this is SHIT HOT.

Speaking about the track, the band says they draw from cult groups from the ‘90s. “The track was mainly inspired by bands from the 90’s like Unwound, Slint and Shellac. I’ve always been obsessed with that specific style of noisy feedbacky music with a mix of singing and screaming and so I really just wanted to do that thing myself. Lyrically though I’m more inspired by lots of alt-country artists like Songs: Ohia and Bill Callahan. The band and I have been working on our material for around a year now and can’t wait to have more out!”

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Keep an eye out for more from Twine, and give Cleaner a listen below. Honestly, this is the type of track I really enjoy listening to while I’m cleaning, because it gives me the energy to get through it all. I went and stood in my backyard, stared at the stars, and let this one wash over me. It’s captivating, and it’s a song that’ll grab you by the scruff of your neck and demand that you take notice.