Collaborations between musicians whom I already love are one of my absolute favorite things in life. That’s no exaggeration. And Twin Forks fits the bill perfectly.
Twin Forks is comprised of Chris Carrabba from Further Seems Forever, Suzie Zeldin of The Narrative (two bands I’ve previously featured; here and here), Jonathan Clark, and Ben Homola of Bad Books.
Yes, the result is just as fantastically phenomenal as you imagine it would be.
“Back to You” is a sublime song. It’s upbeat, sincere, and incredibly infectious. In the beginning, amidst the drum beat, claps, and the mandolin, there’s a stray, candid holler, establishing the mirth and geniality, not only of this song, but of this album (as it’s the first track of their EP), and of this band. This is a band you want to be best friends with. This is a band you can be best friends with. Carrabba is as earnest as always, and in this song, there’s a lightness in his voice that I just love (but when don’t I love his voice, let’s be honest). When the harmonies kick in they’re absolutely charming and so lively that I dare you to sit still. The chorus just makes you wanna move! Near the end of the bridge, Zeldin’s voice peeps up, sweetly supporting Carrabba’s as he croons the chorus lines.
As for the lyrics, well, given that FSF’s The Moon Is Down is my favorite album, it’s no surprise that I’m constantly (and consistently!) enamored with Carrabba’s writing. As one expects with Twin Forks’ falling into the Folk/Americana genre, “Back to You” is mostly externally situated, with hopeful reflection.
Twin Forks’ debut EP will be available for sale this Tuesday, the 17th, but you can pre-order it on iTunes! And you don’t have to wait to hear it, as it’s currently streaming for free over at Purevolume. They are also going out on tour this fall (check out tour dates here), so if they swing by your city, please go and take me along with you!
Among the recent press surrounding the release, this interview between Substream Music Press and Carrabba is an insightful one, and while the entire thing is gold, these comments regarding creativity and public perception stand out:
SM: Yeah, and that’s part of the trick too. How does an artist transition without alienating anyone?
CC: Don’t you think it’s tricky to try and not alienate anyone? You’re going to alienate someone. I think that I better not worry about who likes it. I just kind of believe that if I write something potent and evidently honest, then I just kind of trust that people will like it. There’s going to be people who don’t like it because they like the non traditional aspect that Dashboard had. You can’t predict that stuff and I think you could drive yourself crazy. I think you can give yourself writer’s block when you do that and I’ve done that before.
SM: At this point in your career, do you feel like the pressure is off?
CC: No, I don’t. I don’t know that I feel like the pressure will ever be off because I put the pressure on. I felt a lot of pressure when nobody was listening. I felt a lot of pressure when the people were listening were diehard fans and I felt a lot when the people were listening were diehard fans and haters who wanted to tear it up. The pressure comes from me, it’s eternal. I don’t think its reactionary to the particular happenings of the moment.
Intrinsic motivation. That’s what it always comes down to.