In my preparation for the Phillip Phillip’s show this coming weekend, I thought I would check out some of the opening act’s DUGAS’ material, only to find out that they were replaced (read: upgraded) by Twin Forks. Having never heard of the band prior to this week, I did some digging and discovered that the band carries a decent pedigree. This band is the new project from Chris Cabrera (of Dashboard Confessional fame), don’t worry though, as this is a far more upbeat sound than the EMO tag which Dashboard was slapped with.
There will be detractors who argue that the alt-folk/folk-pop genre has run its course with bands such as the Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, The National and Of Monsters and Men, and while I would be willing to agree with that statement (based solely on the fact that Radio has been beating that horse senseless for the past year), Twin Forks don’t sound like a rehashing of anything, their sound feels completely independent of those other acts. It is almost as if they have managed to carve out a pop niche for themselves. I could hear the band being played on local radio station 96.5FM pretty easily, whether or not they choose to embrace the band’s sound is another matter.
There is an infectious exuberance here which adds a layer of pop accessibility for many who found the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons a tad too folk sounding. Personally, it was the hooky whistling of “Cross My Mind” which lured me in and proceeded to duct tape me to the radiator. There are few albums which have had this sort of effect on me in recent years, and after the first couple of months of 2014, I was having a crisis of faith, as I needed something new to listen to, and while Beck came first with that first summery ray of sunshine after a barren winter, it was this Twin Forks which won my heart almost instantly. This is an album which I love wholeheartedly from front to back, as I’ve been grinding it for a solid 5-6 complete listens in a single day, and not one track is wearing thin. Gems abound here such as the aforementioned “Cross My Mind”, in addition to “Plans”, “Danger” and “Who’s Looking Out”, this is an album which deserves your attention, as it should be one which once discovered is going to be everywhere, so this is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
I was excited to see Phillip “Dave Jr.” Phillips this Saturday, as I’m travelling this spring to see Dave Sr. play with his band down in Bangor, but after discovering Twin Forks and their eponymous debut full length album, I am more exciting to see the opening act (which feels like U2 all over again, when I was far more excited to see Arcade Fire). You can bet that I will be there when the doors open to ensure I don’t miss a second of Twin Forks’ set. I’d recommend you track down some tickets to the Phillip Phillips show this Saturday (March 8th) and get there early so that you can check out Twin Forks.
Check out the band’s recent visit to the Much Music studios in Toronto:
http://www.muchmusic.com/officesessions/video/pid/143243/much-office-sessions-twin-forks
Also, here’s a link to their debut single “Cross My Mind” –
