Aug 13
Earth To World by Projected Twin
Projected Twin is a YouTube artist I discovered roughly 6 months ago, and immediately fell in love. His first release was Earth To World in July 21st, 2010; here is my review.
Projected Twin is a one-man band made up of Australian Shawn Holton (I know, where is any hint of an accent in his singing voice). And in 2009, Projected Twin geared up to record it's first album, Earth To World. It was finally released in 2010 to much internet acclaim. And Earth To World is only the beginning, and part one of a three part conceptual album series by Projected Twin; Earth Vs World will be released in 2013.
1. Post Secret - Enter an eerie, interesting sound fading in and out from your speakers (or headphones, where applicable). This is the sound of Projected Twin. Earth to World's monsterous 10 minute intro speaks for itself for a long time, and is the perfect example of just a good, long song. Shawn Holton had major success in creating a song that's over 10 minutes long, doesn't get boring, yet still has structure throughout the whole song (you aren't getting a medley here). It is comparable to a song from a rock band with a different sound, but was also part of my first review; Save Me by Avenged Sevenfold. Both that and Post Secret are comparable in the sense of they are both long songs that just don't want to end. - 10/10
2. I'll Fall For Anything - A song for anybody who wants a straight up rock song is here. I'll Fall For Anything is the first general song on Earth to World (I don't consider Post Secret just a song) and is a success, and will make you keep listening if the first 10 minutes of the album didn't convince you already. What sounds like a more typical rock song of the 21st century is given a twist following a great solo, demonstrating more of the, by the end of the album you'll understand, signature Projected Twin ambient sound before kicking back into a slightly slower, deeper rendition of the song's chorus. - 9.5/10
3. We Know It's True - The lead single from the album, We Know It's True is the most commercial song on Earth to World, with a typical verse/chorus progression, and with an extended bridge. And just because this is rock standard format doesn't mean it's bland. The song has a quick yet effective build-up in the first 30 seconds with lyrical content that easily gives on an idea of the main focus of Earth to World. The song concludes with a simple yet not fully satisfying guitar solo before ending unpleasantly; this songs outro is actually one of the lowest points in the album, and doesn't reflect the rest of the song at all. - 8/10
4. Shark Water - Shark Water is the album's first really peaceful song, a classification Projected Twin has became associated with over the years, beginning with one clean guitar and a voice. Eventually, more clean guitars and the light tapping of a drum set comes in to bulk up the song a bit. The falsetto closer to the end is just brilliant and perfectly showcases Shawn Holton's impeccable vocal chords. - 7.5/10
5. Redemption Away - Track five of Earth to World is a more tranquil song, as well as the shortest, unfortunately. Redemption Away clocks in at 2:37, with a minute long intro and no real song format (like verse, intro, etc). This is where the song fails, as when you approach the ending, you are expecting more words, a guitar solo, or something. Despite this, it is still a highlight of the album, combining the disciplines of acoustic, electric, and worldly sounds that make up the album. The vocals are simple but perfectly fuse the song together to make a wonderful short piece. 8.5/10
6. Oh! The Drama - Following Redemption Away comes an experimental rock song with no real vocals, just a female's spoken intro and some chant-like singing near the end. My main problem with the song is that Redemption Away, the previous track, felt like an intermission of sorts. And so does this. And seeing as how the two together are in the middle of the album and make up roughly 15% of it, an intermission too long it seems. My other concern is that Oh! The Drama isn't as much a good album track as it is a cool experimental piece for a band to release a b-side (or in Projected Twin's case, on YouTube). - 6/10
7. Try - Try makes me want to even further connect Projected Twin to Nine Inch Nails, as it is a very experimental, ambient piece (I won't call it a song, because it is not) reminiscent of many album 'breaks' on some Nine Inch Nails albums. It is very eerie, and gives the ears a ride unlike anything I have heard before. Additionally, it does some excellent foreshadowing of the next song Deny with the use of a xaphoon, as well as trace vocals of the intro of Deny. Overall, it could have been a bit shorter, but it is a good break to let your mind churn what you've heard, as well as take in the eerie sounds presented. - 7/10
8. Deny - The heaviest song on the album, Deny begins with a vocal melody hinted at in the previous song Try. It starts off a bit stale and dry, but once the xaphoon, a mystical instrument, and soon after, a second guitar, kicks in, the song kicks off. Then the intro is rephrased and replayed before two awesome guitar solos start one after the other. - 8.5/10
9. Earth to World - Earth to World, the title track, transitions perfectly from Deny, by far the heaviest song on the album, in the most tranquil way; from a blazing guitar solo to peaceful ambience. Contrasting the previous track, the title track of the album is by far the most peaceful piece on the album, with a lot of natural ambience and, for the most part, a guitar and a voice. It is a bit long, but it brings good thoughts to mind throughout and, for this song, the longer length really works in favor of the songs feelings, despite there being a lot of the same repeated in it; it's as if you won't get the song's full effect unless it was the length it was. - 9/10
10. Circle of Two - The final song on the album, and also the album's only easily apparent collaboration (though some other musicians did perform various instruments throughout the album), from Temple Tigers. I often debate upon the essentiality of this song on the album. One part of me says it's such a perfect end to the album, and wraps everything presented in the past 9 songs perfectly, but the other side says it's not at all important, and the albums should have ended with the title track. The main contributing factor for both of my stances is the female lead vocal; while it makes the song perfect and compliments the rest of the album pretty well, it also ruins the album significantly, diminishing the whole 'one-man band' fact greatly. However, in the end, the peaceful eerie song of Circle of Two usually ends up as “significant” in my mind, and a great album ender (but I do think Earth to World is equally as good as the end). - 8/10
Overall, Earth To World is an amazing trip. To take into the fact Projected Twin is a one-man band made up of a multi-instrumentalist of YouTube fame, it's almost unbelievable. Shawn Holton is an amazing musician who will no doubt find even greater fame in the coming years.
Due to just the overall impact this album had on me, from the instrumentation to the lyrics to the overall presentation, Earth to World by Projected Twin/Shawn Holton gets:
9.5/10
- Add new comment: