Double Single Review: Two-Man Giant Squid - A band in the post-modern world
A double single review you say? Yes, you did read that right. Something of a first for us here at NNWNF, but it all comes about from me being a lazy charlatan - Hey Country Boy, let's have a snooze now. I say this because the first couple of months for me is a slow process in terms of getting the writing head on - so if releases are in say January and February - I'm much less likely to be able to get this neurotic, cesspool of a brain of mine together to write anything. I'm not sorry, because what would be the point? This post-modern world is deeply skeptical of the narrative anyway.
With that in mind, I'm annoyed and slightly crestfallen by missing the first of the new singles released by NNWNF favs Two-Man Giant Squid; a band seemingly in intense training for their inevitable rocket ship journey to the moon. The Brooklyn dance punks recently played both New Colossus and SXSW in New York City and Austin to great acclaim; the latter appearance garnering long overdue interest from BBC Radio 6 Music, with Steve Lemacq positively gushing about them. Go ed' Lemacca. Needless to say, because I'm miles ahead of the curve*, I was writing about them three years ago, but don't let that go to my head.
*With a pathetic hit rate of about 0.87265%.
The band have released not one, but two singles in the last 6 weeks, so it's time to get acquainted with this new material. On the back of their excellent self-titled album from 2025, Two-Man Giant Squid were keen to keep the bang wagon rolling. February saw the release of the first of their new tracks "love is a skill like painting or taxidermy". The song is ostensibly a love song doused in realism. The title says it all; love is something that has to be worked on, with the rewards revealing themselves with continued practise of the craft over time. Front man and lead songwriter Mitch Vinokur wrote the song last year after marrying long term partner Sam, who plays keyboards in the band.
This is Two-Man Giant Squid at their most candid and personal. The foundations of the track remain mainly what makes this band so intriguing; the solid and subtle rhythm section keeping the focus firmly away from themselves, but also adding little flourishes of their own; the keyboards creating a greater sonic pallete for Vinokur's delivery to take centre stage. He delivers these universal truths like he's delivering a sermon from the top of the Empire State Building; aware that his time to get this message across is as short as the attention span of those listening.
The growth in quality of this band is clearly evident here. As their tracks have become more complex and nuanced, Two-Man Giant Squid have revealed themselves to be masters of the age old Indie Rock technique of tension and release. The guitar lines here are sparse and complimentary for most of the track, but it's only as it starts to feel like it's running out of steam that the guitars get their moment to shine. It's a thrilling switch up in tempo with two different tones intertwining to goose bump-inducing effect, that takes it's ques from bands like Deerhunter and Cloud Nothings. It's here where Vinokur's vocals - bathed in reverb by now - almost become another instrument and the switch is complete. Give & take.
The second of the two new releases is the much more lyrically tongue-in-cheek '3 Hits'. Here the band continue their long established knack of smart-arsed self deprecation permeating a song to shake your smart arse too. There are plenty of bands doing this well recently - the likes of Yard Act, Adult DVD and The Regressive Left spring to mind - but Two-Man Giant Squid are as good as any of them at it*
* Listen to '...Weird Recordings (you've got some)' and 'Don't Go To Snareworld' for further evidence.
The track flips the script slightly from 'love is a skill..' The intro here is built entirely from drum and bass - the drums allowing the bass to create a funky groove that sets the template nicely. Keyboards are next to enter the mix, adding a sophisticated 80s' sounding tone - this could almost be Duran Duran trying to recreate their heyday. Vinokur adds his barbed witticisms over the top with characteristic aplomb. Yes there are touches of James Murphy about all this, but this is far from imitation, it's more evolution.
The subject matter is about what many bands must feel about the state of the industry in 2026. The lack of a sustainable streaming model, increased costs of touring and the occasional nagging thought of "There has to be an easier way of life than THIS". Vinokur draws on recent experiences of the band to evaluate their own self worth; it's clear at this point this track has become therapy of sorts. As the songs breaks down towards the end, a voice is heard asking "Well, were you any good?" - Vinokur replies and it's enough to make you cry and laugh in equal measure:
I don't know, what's the measure of good? You know we almost played with Wheatus. Yeah, they asked us to play out on their boat. The guy wanted to do it. But I wrote back, I wrote back, I said:
" Dear Wheatus,
Dear John F. Wheatus,
I'll play your boat show, under one condition, I've got this one little condition.
WE WANNA TAKE THREE HITS. "
Stay away from hallucinogens kids.
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