Pauli Mia and Ryan Ficano are Twin Princess, a Philadelphia duo trading in doom country, a genre that marries road-tested storytelling with the humming glitz of synth-pop. Fraise, the group’s debut, gets its literary bent from the bruised neon of New Brunswick, the songbook of Bruce Springsteen, and the droning malaise of a world that seems exceptionally distant and sepia-toned: crowded New Year’s Eve parties, well-attended homes with dark foyers, dive bars with memories as patrons.

As a memory play, it’s pulsing with a halo of longing that could only come from its Valentine’s Day 2020 street date. As a statement of intent, it’s begging for your attention. Where else can woozy alt-country bump elbows with simmering pop shapes? The mingling couldn’t be sweeter.

– james cassar for moon physics // 2020