THE RESIDENTS

"Tweedles"

Mute Records - 2006

CD / limited CD booklet

Along the luxurious series of reissues of the their classic discography, Mute Records is also releasing the newest studio work of our favourite eyeballs, who, in the last years, presented some rather disappointing projects ("Demons Dance Alone" and "Animal Lover" above all). With "Tweedles", on the contrary, The Residents return onto such excellent and unexpected levels, that this new titanic effort could be placed not too far from their historical masterpieces assembled in the late 1970s'. Fortunately dismissed those anonymous pop songs and insignificant singers seen on the previous two albums, the one and only singing Resident is back on vocals, while the music turns dark, gloomy and epic like it managed to be on "Not Available" or "God In Three Persons" only, obviously upgraded to present technological possibilities.

The story behind the new CD, if we want to believe it, is that of an eccentric Romanian millionaire who would have invited the band to play in his private recording studio to make a lifetime dream come true. In the occasion, the Californian eyeballs collaborated even with the Film Orchestra of Bucharest for the symphonic parts. Indeed, the musical thickness of "Tweedles" is impressive, the electronics reach peeks of noise and restlessness unknown at least since the days of "Eskimo", guitars and clattering blues-rock chords turn up the volume in an exalting way, and the classic, disturbing female choir comments aside, like it had come out of a classical Greek tragedy.

The Residents also abandoned the lyrical abstractism of their latest releases to strike hard again, showing themselves more cynical, acid and ruthless than ever. "Tweedles" is the name of the clown represented on the cover (and inside the numerous wonderful pages of the limited edition in hardcover booklet format), who narrates the story of his life through the CD's sixteen episodes. Obviously, we're not dealing with a nice and joyful clown, rather with a sad, dark and dangerous one, in a tradition dear to American horror culture.

Using this device, the band portrays a certain modern male model: alone, isolated, cynical, cold, proud of his calculating ability and manipulating techniques, ready to do anything to achieve success and personal gain, disgusted by the words "relationship" and "love", irreparably phallus-centred (take a look at the very explicit graphics on the inside), and who hardly feels something for his recently passed away mother. The singer gives his voice to such real and present character, while the choir shows an external point of view and creates an original and effective duet. At the end, crisis in inevitable, the cynical manipulator who never tied himself to anyone, the cold calculator always thirsty for command finds himself vulnerable and admits his personal defeat, regressing almost to childhood in the grotesque confession that he would have liked to become a clown!

The narration moves through single scenes enjoyable on their own (the shaking-up "Mark Of The Male", the dramatic masterpiece "Stop Signs", the epic "Isolation", the paranoid "Keep Talkin", the tragicomical finale "Shame On Me"), but a complete listening of the CD is anyway necessary to enjoy the whole of this authentic sound film. Finally, a new total masterpiece by The Residents, at long last back onto these much yearned-for quality levels. Not to be missed by faithful followers and neophytes, without exceptions.

- Simon V.

Website: http://www.residents.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theresidents