Civil Twilight

iTunes Review

In the opening song to Civil Twilight’s sophomore album, singer/bassist/keyboard player Steven McKellar asks “Is anybody out there?” some 20 times — and sounds more impassioned each time he croons. Should any of these soaring melodies ring familiar, you may have heard one of three songs from their 2009 self-titled album which were featured in a few television shows, including One Tree Hill, House and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. “Letters from the Sky” appeared on the latter (as well as on Harper’s Island). It’s a dark and brooding ballad with the utmost urgency of emotions sung in the chorus. McKellar’s voice effortlessly traverses from his searing tenor inflections to a lilting falsetto. “Human” boasts the power of simplicity — it’s just McKellar and his piano — singing with a Thom Yorke-like fragility contrasted by strong lyrics sans any singer-songwriter clichés. Similarly, “Quiet in My Town” is an incredibly moving standout. Building dynamically with subtle layers of instruments, the song takes life midway as the drums and distortion come in, closing the album powerfully.