Two Gallants: We Are Undone

Emily Zemler on February 20, 2015

Two Gallants have unveiled four albums without breaking out of the indie and alternative worlds, but We Are Undone may be the one to earn the most notable acclaim. The album, produced by Karl Derfler, is a thumping, blues-tinged stomper filled with gritty, twanging electric guitars and impassioned lyrical deliveries. There were strong hints of this sort of full-on rock sound throughout the San Francisco duo’s 2012 album The Bloom and the Blight, but it’s been perfected here, especially on the title track and on the surging “Fools Like Us.” That’s not to say that Two Gallants aren’t still interested in the possibilities of introspective folk numbers: The sparse “My Man Go” is an emotionally wrought ballad, while “Heartbreakdown” evokes shimmering indie rock. Two Gallants are continually on point, regardless of what sort of tone each song calls for. It feels like you’re hearing two musicians tap into exactly what they want to express, which is particularly apparent on the rambling, piano-laced tune “Invitation to the Funeral.” It’s like if The Black Keys made an album with sincerity of emotion.

Artist: Two Gallants
Album: We Are Undone
Label: ATO