I quite enjoyed the last single ‘Devils Please Be Gone’ from Black Twig, which David reviewed, it had a classic rock / indie feel to it, but new single ‘Big Cat’ really does takes things up a good few notches.
It also proves what I always knew, that all bands should listen to their bass player, as the new song includes the innovation of using an electric mandolin in the chorus, which bass player Kaarlo had the idea of using, and it just adds that extra dimension to the song, making it more distinct and catchy in the process.
That’s certainly the key to ’Big Cat’ too, because this is a catchy pop song at heart, which really opens up in the chorus with a melody that will get inside your head on 1st listen. They also seem to hold back on their ‘noisier’ instincts until towards the end, when they just really let go with a thunderous guitar solo and a bucket load of fuzz. Lots of tunes and lots of noise, Black Twig’s simple formula in 'Big Cat' is unquestionably sound.
Lyrically it laments human failures: ‘this world isn’t making it any easy / to have faith in human kind / how you can you love your enemy when he hates you”. Simple enough stuff, but clearly written and articulated.
Vocalist Aki Pohjankyrö explains more: "The track turned out to be part guitar pop/folk song, part protest song. Its working title was "Revolution Song", because it also has this revolving or circling guitar riff, which keeps repeating during the verses. One of my favourite things on this track is the electric mandolin melody in the chorus.”.
You see, always listen to the bass player. Unless he suggests Pan Pipes next time.
Black Twig release their new album ‘Was Not Looking For Magic’ on Soliti on the 26th February, their 1st new material for 5 years.