Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
What’s the story?
Archives may sound like a B-sides compendium, or a host of rediscovered demos, but it is a wholly new album from intriguing trio Vanishing Twin.
The title reflects the trio’s creative process, where, as singer and founder member Cathy Lucas says, they have a process of “gathering material together, riffing with it, turning it around on itself, trying to put the pieces together and create a story with it”.
The trio have a fluid approach that allows them to exchange ideas through a virtual studio, play each other’s instruments and adopt an improvisatory air on occasion. This keeps a light-hearted air to their music and keeps creativity to the forefront.
What’s the music like?
As original as the creative process suggests it should be. At the root of Vanishing Twin’s music is a beat-based style of music that has close musical alignment with Broadcast and Stereolab, but never sounds like pastiche.
Instead, the trio create compositions with a dark and eerie edge, their music akin to catching sight of an unexpected reflection in the mirror, seeing a sudden shadow out of the corner of your eye or, more playfully, seeing a bat or a bird flit quickly across your vision.
Their combination of funk and wariness is unexpectedly strong, with a cool vocal on Familiar Fruit taken out of its comfort zone by creepy scrapes on the bass. Hazama has an eerie vocal, the end of So Calm even more so in multitude, while the scrunched up, glitchy rhythms of Bring Me The Axe are like a dub ritual in preparation. The title track wavers, the shrill electronics circling ominously.
Does it all work?
Yes – at times Vanishing Twin have a creative tension at play, with something ominous in the air. Creepy, colourful and original.
Is it recommended?
Yes. Archives is a compelling listen, with three imaginative minds making music that both warms and chills the cockles, often simultaneously.
For fans of…Broadcast, Stereolab, Jane Weaver, Dry Cleaning, Peaking Lights
Listen / Buy
Published post no.3,058 – Sunday 25 October 2026
