I’ve been had! 35 minutes of sunny pop-rock dreamed up by a band called Supermodel Twins and not a single mention of a catwalk cat fight, menage a trois or invitation to the Playboy Mansion? This is a clear-cut case of false advertising, Supermodel Twins – but luckily the feds aren’t likely to be on the lookout for five hairy Limerick lads...
Now that the obligatory reference to their silly name is out of the way, we can get down to the choons. The aptly-named Raincloud Free, Supermodel Twins’ first LP, is a Devil May Care album chock-full of spirited, three-minute soft punk belters. Producer Noel Hogan of The Cranberries (you may remember him as the one with the most hair) has done well to put a decidedly slick sheen on all this giddy rock.
On ‘One Step Behind’, vocalist Thom O’Keefe growls: “Move to the left/to the right/ any motion will do” and it could well be the motto for the entire record. Brandishing song titles like ‘Modern Day Robin Hood’ and ‘Clowns Don’t Cry’, it’s clear that Supermodel Twins’ overriding goal is to kick start the listener into a good mood, and they’ll throw as many twee hooks, cliched guitar riffs and nonchalant vocals at you until you’re tapping your toes along with them.
One flaw in their game-plan is that all 11 tracks on Raincloud Free sound remarkably similar, to the point that you could let your finger fall on any two spots on the album’s metaphorical map and find two moments of similar, if not even identical tempo and melody. Some would praise their consistency, but it’s hard not to pine for a quirky twist or an unexpected turn.
Still, Raincloud Free is a solid collection of peppy, break-neck pop tunes. It may not put a smile on your face like looking at a pair of sexy strutting sisters would, but if it doesn’t, hey, it’s not for the want of trying.
Key Track: ‘One Step Behind’