album review: single twin, marcus teague

Marcus Teague is the debut album of Melbourne artist Single Twin. The artist behind Single Twin is Marcus Teague. Marcus Teague used to front Deloris. Marcus Teague was also the name of a smarmy doctor on Neighbours back in 2001. Apparently Marcus Teague had to give permission for the naming of Ramsay Street’s Marcus Teague. Still with me?

What’s extraordinary about this album is the amount of love and attention it has been afforded. Over six years (part of which he spent still working with Deloris), Teague recorded and mixed it himself using Garageband and a single microphone. Don’t be scared off by the use of Garageband: if it wasn’t in his press release, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Marcus Teague is intimate, visceral and gorgeous. Teague’s voice is equal measures haunting and reassuring. On a double-bill, he would be perfectly complimented by Bon Iver. It’s affecting enough that you can devote yourself completely to listening to it, and unobtrusive enough that you can play it in the background.

The album contains the much admired ‘Came Home Dead’. The song is either about a ghost completing mundane tasks and farewelling  a loved one, or a metaphorical tale about the death of a relationship. But since I’m an English major, I could have entirely made up the latter because I’m programmed to over analyse. It’s a testament to Teague’s voice that he can make us hang onto every word  even when he sings about buttering toast. That’s not to say that his lyrics aren’t pertinent or sophisticated, but it takes a talented singer and songwriter to make small moments compelling. The song is softly layered with undecipherable voices, which adds to the stirring nature of the song.

From the melancholic ‘Splinters and Seeds’, the bluegrass infused ‘Dirty Sleeves in the Salty Water’, and the folky ‘The Blow (Fell Out The Window)’, Teague has produced an album full of distinct stories and sounds, yet they all belong together. It holds coherency and unity as an album, but you never feel like you are listening to a song twice. So do yourself a favour, hop onto iTunes and buy this album.

And if you want a sample, listen to Came Home Dead here!