Two Gallants
Two Gallants

THE REVIEW

In a perfect world, the Two Gallants would be a successful band, their videos would constantly occupy the top spots on TRL, and teenagers would clog the lines with their sassy texts for Adam and Tyson (one could argue that in a perfect world TRL wouldn't exist, but bear with me).

But no, ours is a slightly crazy world, and the Two Gallants are a niche band, the kind we debasics love, with our striped shirts, our Myspace pages, and our All-Star sneakers. Childhood friends from San Francisco, the two boys have reached their third studio work, the second for Oberst's Saddle Creek after the brilliant "What the Toll Tells," released just 12 months ago.

The album, which is untitled and which we will therefore call "Two Gallants," represents another step towards the duo's definitive artistic maturation. From the intro, "the Deader" (one of the best moments), you can indeed perceive the improvement in songwriting, which, combined with very careful production work, gives the album a depth that is certainly superior to the past.

What hasn't changed, however, is the quality of the lyrics, a factor that sets the Two Gallants apart from most of today's bands and makes them so fascinating and at the same time "difficult." Their lyrics are indeed true "literary works" (it's no coincidence that the band's name itself is derived from a piece in Joyce's "Dubliners"... so much for TRL) written in a classic and very evocative English. An attentive listener can catch numerous references to English and American literature, the epic of the West, and the great masters of country-folk, from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, including Johnny Cash, from whom they inherit the taste for telling the stories of renegades, murderers, and prostitutes. A heartfelt opinion from the writer: when listening to the 2GS, one cannot overlook reading and understanding the splendid lyrics; it's a bit like saying, paraphrasing a famous ad: "if you don't lick your fingers, you enjoy only half."

Returning to the actual music, as mentioned above, the songwriting has improved, and we finally find more immediate and catchy tracks ("The Deader", "The Hand that Held Me Down", "Reflection of the Marionette", "Despite what You've Been Told") alongside the heart-wrenching lullabies that are the duo's trademark. These are long, sparse tracks with an almost disarming intimacy but which still manage not to be heavy and to captivate the listener ("Trembling of the Rose", "Ribbons on my Tongue", "My Baby's Gone"). It is in these tracks that Adam Stephens' tormented soul reveals itself without veils, the voice becomes heartrending, superbly accompanied by the guitar.

This "Two Gallants" is an excellent album. The two Frisco boys have garnered a decent following by touring and touring America and Europe, relying solely on their great music.

Give it a listen; they deserve it.