Album Review: TWRP – Together Through Time

Feels pretty good

Back in 2018, I wrote a bunch of reviews that I couldn’t publish anywhere. So I’m putting them here.

After seven EPs, Toronto-based synthwave band Tupper Ware Remix Party (TWRP) recently released their debut LP Together Through Time. Featuring an infectious mix of funk, electronic, and comedy elements – not to mention several notable guest appearances –  Together Through Time isone of the best debuts in recent memory.

To start off the album, bassist Commander Meouch launches into a funky solo on “Head Up High”. The tone of the album is set when keyboardist Dr. Sung joins in shortly after with dreamy synths and computer-vocals reminiscent of Daft Punk. “Head” serves primarily as an intro to lead single and album-highlight “Synthesize Her”, a song with lyrics about creating the perfect girl out of computer code. “Synthesize Her” once again emphasizes funky basslines and synths, with Lord Phobos lending staccato guitar through the verses, and a light rhythm track during the chorus.
Synths and bass are the focus on most of Time, though Phobos has plenty of opportunities to show off – most notably a great solo in “Pets” and some cool licks throughout “Our 4fathers” and “Strike a Pose”.  The same goes for drummer Havve Hogan, though he doesn’t have any solos.

Fans of TWRP will feel right at home listening to Time, with a fair chunk of the album sounding like the definitive versions of tracks from the band’s earlier EPs. “Strike A Pose” and “Maximum Thrust” are reminiscent of last years’ Ladyworld; “Life Party” is a vaguely science-themed celebration of life that recalls 2015’s Believe In Your Dreams; “Starlight Brigade” sounds like a fleshed-out version of “Baby, NYC” off Dreams (and features the same guest vocalist).
Nearly half the album features guest vocalists, and it’s on these tracks that TWRP really get to flex their creative muscles. The first of these is the excellent “Phantom Racer”, featuring Nashville-based videogame-rock band The Protomen. “Phantom Racer” is a fast-paced, upbeat electropop song about a race that’s infiltrated by a murderous, unannounced racer. Over about 5 minutes, subdued-yet-relentless keyboards and drums build to a crescendo as guest vocalist Raul Panther III duets generic lyrics about being “born to race” with Sung, and an announcer describes a darkly comedic scene of a mystery racer killing every other racer before crashing his car and walking away.

Other guest tracks include the dark and chunky “Starlight Brigade”, which features Dan Avidan of musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party, old-school funk song “Tactile Sensation” with RnB group Planet Booty, and the exceedingly chill “Take Care of U”, featuring jazz singer Lydia Persaud.
The standout guest track is “The Perfect Product”. Featuring comedian JP Incorporated, “The Perfect Product” is a fake advertisement for a non-descript item that is “perfect for you, perfect for your family, perfect for your friends”. Over two and a half minutes of Parliament-meets-Frankie Goes To Hollywood style instrumentals, JP lays out several platitudes in conversation with Sung’s low self-esteem robot persona. “The Perfect Product” also emphasizes Hogan’s drumming, as he goes from after-school special beats, to funky drummer and back, as well as incorporating other percussion throughout the song.

The album ends on the lightly funky chillout tune “Feels Pretty Good”. Featuring a final solo from Sung on the keyboards, Phobos on the guitar, and Meouch on the bass, as well as a guest saxophone solo, the song is a great last hurrah for Time. “Feels Pretty Good” is the perfect complement to “Head Up High”, providing a nice outro to an entire album that feels pretty good to listen to.

9/10