Remember Chris Carrabba? The frontman of Dashboard Confessional; the guy who grabbed an acoustic guitar and melted hearts with his beautiful, husky voice. Well the singer/songwriter is back, reinventing his sound and it’s incredible—hands down. His new four piece band, Twin Forks, captures the same emotions brought out a decade ago. Consisting of mandolinist player and vocalist Suzie Zeldin of The Narrative, bassist Jonathan Clark, drummer Ben Homola of Bad Books and Carrabba; the quartet brings new meaning to folk-rock.
Twin Forks self-titled debut album is one that you definitely need to listen to. This quartet is unlike any other; juxtaposing Carraba’s gravelly voice with Zeldin’s lovely vocals, delicately woven together with splendid instrumentation.
Twin Forks opens up with “Can’t Be Broken,” where Carrabba invites his fans to hear the maturity reached over the years. It holds so much enthusiasm. His vocals, along with Zeldin’s, leave you in a harmonious trace. All your stress fades away. Nothing can bother you and you find yourself clapping along. The melodies flow so naturally. Zeldin’s mandolin talents shine throughout–it makes you want to learn how to play that wonderful instrument. Right after “Cross My Mind,” makes its way into your ears and you can automatically tell that the elements used showcase idiosyncrasies they infused in this song. It’s full of energy. The whistling they added make it incredibly lively. It’s elegant.
One song you should listen to in particular is “Back To You.” I can’t fathom the words to describe this song. Carrabba’s voice sends shivers down your spine. The counterpoints are perfectly performed; engineering a flawless pick-me-up. The sounds are massive. Everyone chimes in–continuously. It’s a peculiar, yet harmonic masterpiece. It makes you wanna dance under every star until the sunrise. The lyrics are on fire. Carrabba sings: “So, put a poesy in your hair/Pretend you couldn’t give a care/Whistle past the graveyard/Even the dead deserve a song,” and it delivers such rich imagery. Partially dark, but that’s what Carrabba’s songwriting is known for; capturing every single emotion.
Another track, “Kiss Me Darling,” shocked me. At first it was strange hearing Carrabba sing a slow-paced love song when all I could think about was “Hands Down” (Dashboard Confessional), but it’s a sweet song nevertheless. Carrabba and Zeldin’s duet is enchanting. You warm up to it. Then comes “Scraping Up The Pieces,” which draws new and old fans together to hear what makes this quartet worth listening to. The harmonies created by Zeldin and Carrabba are indescribable. Each member of Twin Forks fused a part of themselves in this song–the whole album; generating lively festivities throughout.
As you progress to the end of Twin Forks, “Come On,” orchestrated with the light-hearted banjo melodies introduced in the beginning, slowly bring out the anticipation. While Zeldin’s delicate voice shines throughout. It all leads up to the closing track, “Who’s Looking Out,” which is a beautiful way to end. The intervals are sung softly. The humming is relaxing. It conveys how much soul is in this album.
Overall Twin Forks is unbelievable. I cannot get over how each melody is stunningly composed. Not to mention how much Carraba’s songwriting has matured. Twin Forks has not disappointed at all.
Rating: 5/5
http://www.twinforksmusic.com/
Ileana also writes for Moderately Indie.