Twine Violets

• Words: John S.W. MacDonald
• Label: Ghostly International
• XLR8R Rating: 6/10

Ambient music doesn’t have to be background music–weightless abstractions can still make deep impressions. Witness the haunting tone-scapes of Stars of the Lid or Labradford. Twine’s version of ambient, however, isn’t worth much close listening. With shards of reverb-drenched guitar, scattered synth beats, a few recorded telephone conversations, and the occasional female vocal (’cause, of course, nothing’s dreamier than a woman singing in French), Violets uses all of the genre’s tricks, yet manages little of its magic. The creepy title track–like Black Sabbath slowed to a snail’s pace–is worth a spin. But for the most part, this duo’s post-modern dread fails to rise above the din.