Twin Crystals
Child Life (Independent)

That we could’ve heard Twin Crystals’ long-lost Child Life album several years ago is a shame, as the recently surfaced recordings show that the Vancouver postpunk act was in fine form back then. Tracked in 2010, the record was initially turned down by prospective label Alien8 Recordings after the imprint balked at the band’s decision to sink the synth-driven sounds of its self-titled debut. Better late than never, the record is now streaming over on Bandcamp.

Sine waves are still slathered over chunky guitar chords on tracks like “Attraction”, but Jeremiah Haywood and Jesse Taylor definitely display an affinity for overdriven string-slinging on the 11-song outing. Twin Crystals’ initial offering, Child Life generally trades in the kind of scratchily sung punk missives that fuelled Vancouver’s Emergency Room scene. Dour, distorted entries like “Perfect Kut” and “Pulse” would’ve gone great with a PBR and a cloud of secondhand smoke inside the long-gone underground venue/deathtrap.

Though it occasionally threatens to get lost in a wave of familiarly fuzzy tones, this ear-bleeding release shakes things up with the Suicide-style grooves of “her (use)”.

The due date was way off, but local punk historians will be thankful this baby’s out in the open.