The quintet formerly known as Twin Falls has finally made its breakout debut into the ever-growing folk scene with their self-titled EP, Twin Forks. For frontman Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional), it was a long time coming. Growing up around music, he was inspired by people like John Denver and Bob Dylan, but opted not to pursue a career in the musical genre because he loved it too much to do an injustice to it. This release does anything but.
Twin Forks is a joy to listen to from front to back whether you’re a fan of folk/country rooted music or not. “Back To You” and finale, “Scraping Up The Pieces,” are so raw and lively that it’s almost impossible to stop listening.
On tracks like “Something We Just Know” and “Cross My Mind,” we get a taste of the impassioned work that the quintet can deliver without sounding boring, tired, or cliché. The combination of mandolin, acoustic guitar and whistling make it so that each song blends with both contemporary and classical influence, giving it a tasteful familiarity.
“Scraping Up The Pieces” is a great way to bring this release home. Twin Forks immaculately tie together the elements of their work by giving us one last round of unhindered enthusiasm. Arguably the best track on the EP that could easily double as a drinking song definitely knocks it out of the park and submits itself as an instant classic in contemporary music.
The recent influx of folk bands flooding into the popular mainstream stations means that sometimes you’ve got to dig deep to find real fervid talent amidst a sea of groups just trying to latch onto the next big movement. While Twin Forks leans more into the pop-inspired sounds that made Dashboard famous, it’s not to say that this is the case with this EP. The group has definitely found their niche, and if you haven’t heard it yet, you’d be a fool not to.
In A Word: Outstanding
