This week's column is going to be more mellow than previous editions. Distorted guitars have been traded in for an acoustic as we take a look at the Rochester-based band Twin Lakes. Their debut EP Stag is one of the freshest takes on the folk-rock/folk-pop genres that I have heard in a long time. After a couple of spins, I was ready to trade my denim jacket and black skinny jeans for a pair of vintage trousers with suspenders, a collared shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat.
The opening track "Fiend" feels akin to an Ed Sheeran tune, but it doesn't feel like a rip-off or a cheap imitation. Instead, the track is just really fun, despite the darker subject matter. "Fiend" is also one of the grooviest songs on the EP. The last quarter of the song features a drum break that I was not expecting in the slightest. One thing that you can find throughout this EP is that all instruments work to not overplay even when it would be easy to do. The drum break keeps it impact while fitting with the rest of the song because the bass and guitar step back instead of the drums stepping forward to gain the listener's attention. Bassist Nathaniel Pettey and drummer Alex Ortberg play with a lot of restraint in order to keep the songs on this EP tight.
Twin Lakes really works to play with the themes and musical moods of this album. This really shines on the track "Loneliness on Furlough" which almost feels like guitarist/vocalist Robert Baune is playing this song while lying in bed. It has a soft, almost lullaby, quality to it. The longing felt in "Loneliness on Furlough" is continued with the anthemic third track "Eleanor." The band really plays with your heartstrings on this song by building to the smallest crescendos before falling back down. The range in dynamics are not huge, but the difference between the band's quietest and loudest moments are enough to make you notice.
The only part of this EP that I don't like is the final track "Ring on Her Left Hand." The first half of the song drags, and it takes until the rest of the band joins in for it to gain some forward momentum. The lyrics in the verses are a little blasé, and upon first listen, you can easily tell where the phrases in each verse are going before Baune has a chance to finish them. Thankfully, the choruses and bridge are able to add the missing ingredients back into "Ring on Her Left Hand." Even with all of these issues, the track is still pretty solid. It does not detract from the album and still fits within the context of the EP. When put up against the songwriting of the first three track, the flaws found in Stag's closer are minimized even more.
I would definitely recommend you give this a listen. It is really easy to love this EP from the beginning because of how catchy the songs are. The more you sit with it, the more this EP opens up and the nuances come out. If you're the kind of person who likes to stay up late with your headphones on listening to music, Twin Lakes' Stag is something you should check out.
Comments
Post a Comment