REVIEW: Mr Twin Sister @ Great Scott 10/18

 By Angel Kim

There is a certain quality to Mr Twin Sister’s music that I like to call deliberately amorphous, their sound effortlessly flowing from breezy to upbeat to flat out funky–but not without direction. This combination of sounds all result in the perfect soundtrack to dance to or simply get lost in. The band kicked off their Tour 2018 at Great Scott on Oct. 18, supported by Sateen.

The show’s opener, Sateen, is a disco-pop duo made of married couple Miss Queen Sateen and Exquisite. Outspoken in both their lyrics and in speeches, the band focuses on queer themes and self-love. Sateen’s history in drag performing was evident in their showmanship, especially as they closed their set by having the crowd make a runway down the floor and inviting people to walk. I know I wasn’t around in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but nevertheless felt transported back in time to a disco-era club in the heart of New York City.

Mr Twin Sister’s performance took on a more minimalistic style, though with the venue’s small size, which has a capacity of around 240 guests, there isn’t a lot of space for a five-piece band to move around or for elaborate set design pieces. Still, the band transformed the room into a soundscape of the ultimate late-night chill vibes. Lead singer Andrea Estella wore a suit, topping off the band’s cooler-than-you aura.

A highlight of Mr Twin Sister’s set was “Tops and Bottoms.” Hearing its crisp bassline live made me appreciate the recorded version so much more. Estella’s vocals were also entertaining to hear live–they truly are a separate instrument, as Estella sings “I never looked the way I pictured / The way I want” at a high pitch immediately followed by “End up wearing the same old top and bottoms” at a lower pitch and almost robotic tone.

Since the tour began a week before Mr Twin Sister’s most recent album, Salt, was released, the band played a few songs whose studio recordings were not yet heard, including “Buy to Return.” Another new song they played was the fast and lively “Resort” that the audience can expect to change before a recording is released in the future.

The band played older fan favorites, including “I Want A House,” which Estella introduced by telling a story about her parents recently buying a house that is similar to the house she was envisioning when writing the song. Some songs also featured head-turning saxophone solos by vocalist and guitar player Eric Cardona.

Throughout the show, audience members would shout requests for “Echo Arms,” but being one of their currently most popular tracks, I hadn’t even imagined the song not being on the setlist. Within a few seconds of the groovy intro, almost no one in the crowd could resist dancing along. By the time the song’s instrumentals were joined by lyrics half a minute in, I was in a trance.

Mr Twin Sister originated in Long Island in 2008, and after releasing 2011’s In Heaven under Domino Records went back to an independent act to release 2014’s self-titled album. Their last track was released in 2016, and the band returned this year with singles “Jaipur,” “Echo Arms,” “Power of Two,” “Tops and Bottoms,” and “Alien FM.” “Jaipur,” “Tops and Bottoms,” and “Alien FM” are a part of Salt, which arrived on Oct. 25.

Salt is also the name of the doll, made by Estella, pictured on the album art.