Twisted Teens Capture Their Spirit on EP

If you attended Goner Fest this year, you likely heard folks hyping up Twisted Teens. The New Orleans outfit performed two pulsing sets during the fest and won over a lot of new fans—including us—along the way.

Twisted Teens at Bar DKDC (photo by Adam Ziegenhals)

Their performances stood out because frontman CPN Hollywell held such a commanding presence on stage. He’s skilled at quickly bringing you into his world and holding your attention. Plus, his songs are great.

Soon after their Memphis tear, the band released a six-song EP titled, EU-EP. They recorded it in… well, you can probably connect the dots given the name…

Since I saw them live before hearing any recordings, I was curious if they’d be able to capture their mischievous folk-punk-roots sound in the studio. For the most part, they do — particularly on “Graveyard” and “Subway.”

“Graveyard” opens with an earwormy hook, marching drums, and a pedal steel part that functions more like a wonderful rubbery lead guitar than an ambient country layer. It’ll grab you, then tilt you. The track contracts and expands during its short run-time, with CPN’s vocals stretching his range as he repeats, “Don’t forget it.” While listening, I felt like I was reconnecting with the band I saw in Memphis a few weeks back.

“Subway” prompted that same feeling, although the track has a much different mood. CPN’s vocals veer away from hungover rock-chewing to a more reflective place with the pedal steel expanding the landscape through broader brush strokes. It’s definitely not a rip-it-up rocker (drums are absent), but it does display the band’s range while staying true to their live spirit. 

Recently, after releasing EU-EP, Twisted Teens shared that they’re about to “drop a ridiculous amount of music” — I can’t wait.