release date: Feb 14, 2025
format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,90]
producer: Hifi Sean
label: Plastique Recordings - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "The Comedown" - 2. "Twilight" - 3. "Uptown / Downtown" - 4. "Driftaway" - 5. "Sorry I Made You Cry" - 6. "Goodbye Drama Queen" - 7. "Equinox's Children" - 8. "High with You" - 10. "Star"
3rd consecutive collaboration album from this duo lands only 6 months after Daylight (Aug. 2024) and as the two former releases this has been produced by Hifi Sean (aka Sean Dickson) and released on Dickson's own label Plastique Recordings.
Twilight is not surprisingly a follow-up, or perhaps more so the second chapter to what was initiated with the duo's 2024 album From the duo's bandcamp-site: "Twilight’ is a twelve-track night drive from dusk ‘til dawn, with all the moments in-between."
David McAlmont has many times proved his vocal skills in various collaboration projects - e.g. two fine albums as McAlmont & Butler (with Bernard Butler), David McAlmont & Michael Nyman, Fingersnap (with Guy Davies), McAlmont & Webb (with Alex Webb), and his solo album McAlmont was basically reworks from the disfunct duo-project of Thieves with Saul Freeman, and now working with Hifi Sean says a lot - and then never before has McAlmont stayed with any other artist for this long, and it's defintely coming through as a livestrong project. Three full-length albums in three years is something rare these days and Happy Ending (Sep. 2022), Daylight and now Twilight are three different outings, although, they're siblings. Where the predecessor was uptempo and happy-go-lucky danceable, this one comes out as its dark twin-companion. It's still neo-soul and house as the solid foundation, but the presence of jazzy blue-notes and melancholy are now fully undisclosed, and the synthpop-inspiration has transformed into something more suited for the hours after midnight. Hifi Sean makes sure to produce nocturnal sceneries that make a perfect soundscape for McAlmont's delicate phrasings.
I really hope, McAlmont has finally found his musical partner for many years to come 'cause these two seems only to know how to create great music together. Twilight is the opposite / the dark side of the coin where Daylight shines on the face side. They're distictively different but equally good. This is another highly recommended album by this strong duo.
[ Mojo, Record Collector, The Arts Desk 4 / 5, 👎Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]
