Album Review: All Tvvins, Just to Exist

Sophomore syndrome – or ‘the difficult second album’ in music-speak – is a cliché that exists for a reason: bands buckle under the weight of a promising first record. Sometimes they overthink it (or maybe their A&R scout does). Or they just lose their way due to the excesses of fame, and produce a follow-up so underwhelming that it threatens their future.

There’s no such fear with Dublin-based duo All Tvvins. It appears band members Conor Adams and Lar Kaye got their existential crisis out of the way in between records, which cleared the path for Just To Exist, a snappy earworm of a follow-up to their 2016 debut IVV. There’s no excess fat on these 10 tracks, delivered in under 40 minutes. From funky opener ‘Hell Of A Party’, through the dreamy ‘I Heard You’ and the infectious ‘In The Dark’, this is irresistible stuff.

With its relentless hooks and loops, Just To Exist can sound like the score to an entire episode of Made In Chelsea, but that’s only testament to its unapologetic catchiness. The duo accepted an offer of help from none other than James Vincent McMorrow (who has a production credit on the album), and his contribution may have enabled All Tvvins to find a more mature voice. Whatever the process, songs like the title track and ‘Build A Bridge’ are pure volume-up/windows-down affairs. This is super smart indie-pop – and essential listening.

8/10

Out now.