Back in January, I got a chance to talk with Twin Lakes  before a gig at Caydence Coffee and Records. The band mentioned they were going in a bit of a different direction on the new material during the conversation, and I was interested to hear what that meant for the band. Over the weekend, Twin Lakes finally gave us an answer with their gritty new song "The Sun Always Rises." The new single welcomes the addition of electric guitars and a straight-ahead folk-rock sound. "The Sun Always Rises" feels at home as a natural companion to 2018  Twin Lakes debut EP Stag . The band's trademark rhythmic guitar riffs have been delegated to the song's bridge where it builds to an anthemic climax, and unlike Stag where whole songs were based around these riffs, it anchors the song and teases the listener. Along with the song, the band has released their first music video, shot by Nathan Nelson of Treedome Productions . It depicts frontman Robert Baune caught be...

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 im...