New Music Reviews: Cleo Sol and Twisted Teens

Aphoristical
September 29, 2026
2026, New Music Reviews

Two very different, yet sincere, acts this week. The smooth British neo-soul of Cleo Sol, and the country punk of Twisted Teens.

Cleo Sol

Gentlewoman

2026, 8.5/10
Cleo Sol is better known as the lead singer of Sault, but she’s also built up an impressive solo catalogue. Across five solo albums, she’s found a sweet spot between neo-soul grooves and singer-songwriter intimacy. Like on Sault’s records, her husband Inflo provides instrumentation and production, but these arrangements are gentle and laid-back. Like Sault’s recent albums, her lyrics often resort to gentle platitudes, but they work better in this context – her smooth vocals sell questionable lines.

Many of the songs seem like pep talks for Inflo, whom Little Simz has accused of financial mismanagement. But it works – opener ‘I Only Look To You’ is elegant. Iit could almost fit on Carole King’s Tapestry, with its robust melody and simple arrangement. ‘Force of Love’ is the most touching of her songs for her husband, with Sol singing that “When I’m together with you we’re a force of love.” It’s often restrained, but Sol shows her vocal prowess on the high notes of ‘Little Things’.

Cleo Sol’s career feels tragically under the radar, but she’s reliably smooth and sincere.

Twisted Teens

Blame the Clown

2026, 7/10
We’ve already covered one Twisted Teens record this year – July’s Florida Water Blues. But that was one of three Twisted Teens records this year – The Holy Cross Tigers is due in November, while Blame The Clown slipped out in February. Most of the band’s raucous, countrified noise is made by two members – C.P.N. Hollywell is credited with everything except the steel, while Razor “The Razor’ Ramone plays pedal steel. The punky, country sound lands somewhere between Uncle Tupelo and The Replacements.

‘It It Real?’ sets the tone nicely, with the churning, urgent sound. ‘I Operate’ mixes a catchy chorus with oddball lyrics about circumcision. The closing ‘Corpse Pose’ is a fascinating change of pace, a synth-based tune that suggests other possibilities for the band.