Local Review: BANSHEE TWIN

BANSHEE TWIN
BANSHEE TWIN
Dreamrot Audio
Street: 10.27.2025
BANSHEE TWIN = Chromatics + Desire

BANSHEE TWIN is a group that I’ve been curious about listening to more of since I caught them live late last year when they played a set at International Artist Lounge. BANSHEE TWIN’s blend of alternative rock, darkwave and synthpop was like something I’d see performed during the credit scenes at The Roadhouse from Twin Peaks third season. Once I found out that the duo had released a self-titled debut, I knew I had to check it out. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes across eight tracks, BANSHEE TWIN delivers both gorgeous and strong vocal performances that are backed by driving synths, firm drums, as well as soothing almost melancholic electronics that all work together to create a gorgeous backdrop for driving somewhere late at night or drifting to sleep with some mood lighting.

A great deal of this record stood out to me, so much so that picking what I wanted to highlight proved a challenge, but I’ll start with the ethereal introduction that serves to welcome listeners into the record on the first track “Burning Cities.” This introduction is followed by the electronic backdrop of synths, drum loops and the capable vocals of Ava Kostia that all combine into the track’s crescendo about two-thirds of the way through its runtime. The song’s messaging around supporting a love that you no longer should standouts courtesy of lyrics like, “Let’s get lost just a little bit more / Run through the burning city / Show me the love I’ve been looking for / Then rip it out from under” coming from the song’s chorus or lyrics from its verses such as, “My spine curled into a feline shape / Oh come put your claws inside me” and “I’ve seen your face in a thousand ways / But you always look right through me / Silence breaks as you come my way / Hungry for the way you haunt me.” On the track “KILLER WHALE” with its very spacious, Cocteau Twins-esque intro, distant but notable drums all work to elevate Kostia’s vocals, specifically the held note around the halfway point. Additionally, this track’s pacing just hits; I love the tempo that carries through its runtime. With lyrics like, “You said that life is long / For me that was enough / Doing what you do best / Kicking inside my chest” from the first verse and “Pretty facade at best / Polish just surfaces / Son plastic, daddy loves / His little no face man” from the second as well as the repeated chorus of “Not done with sinking yet,” I would say it’s my personal favorite from the album.

On their self-titled debut, BANSHEE TWIN offers a lot to get excited about sonically, lyrically and thematically. I’d encourage fans of the soundtracks of Drive, Blade Runner and Cyberpunk Edgerunners to give this a listen for the sonics, as well as fans of N8NOFACE, STRFKR and Slowdive for the record’s sonic palette and lyrical themes around sacrifice, loss and grief that one can carry after the ending of something. —Hans Magleby

Read more album reviews by Hans Magleby:
Local Review: Shrimp Parade — Ribcage 
Local Review: Modifiers — Well Oiled Machine