Twins is the brash and playful debut from the Cable-knits, a.k.a. the Calgary duo of Nate Waters (of Hunter-Gatherer) and LeeJay Dunphy (ditto Stalwart Sons). This duo wraps spiky post-punk guitar progressions overtop of loops smeared like children’s fingerpaint; with stomping drums and vibrant, elastic vocals, it’s like a pair of kids (albeit kids with deep voices) decided to combine the Beach Boys, Beat Happening and Sonic Youth — and guess what? It totally works!

Much of Twins maintains a sense of playful immediacy that never takes itself too seriously, but these songs could hardly be considered flippant. “Eyelash Got You Down” and “Worry Tree” demonstrate impressive poise between stomping rock naiveté and erudite pop songcraft, but nearly all of these brief songs are filled to the brim with hooks and ideas, both textural and melodic. The overall tone changes a bit at the end, with “No Good Place” slowing everything down into a goopy molasses before gradually morphing into a torrential whirlwind of noise in “Homebody,” but the more I listen, the more it all works.

Overall, Twins is a very promising debut; if you can listen past the thin and somewhat shrill production, you’ll find twee-tantrum gold — and lovingly wrapped in twine, no less!