Many rock fans these days love to claim that “rock and roll is dead” and “those new bands are ruining music.” Well, to be quite frank, they’re wrong. Those people simply haven’t taken the time to listen to Chicago band Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks may be young (each of the band members is in his early 20s), but there’s something deliciously old school that drips off of every track on “Down in Heaven,” the band’s newest album. “Sunken,” the band’s first album, was characterized by fantastically fuzzy lo-fi and “Wild Onion,” the band’s second album, took twists and turns on rock, pop and garage all at the same time—“Down in Heaven,” released May 13, emulates the golden age of rock.
“Down in Heaven” is a bit more cohesive than Twin Peaks’ earlier ventures. It’s smoother on all sides and less of a genre exploration and more of a genre declaration. It’s slower, for sure, than the rambunctious mischief on “Wild Onion,” but this is Twin Peaks’ best album yet.
“Down in Heaven” is reminiscent of an album that features only The Rolling Stones’ softest tunes, with tracks like “Walk to the Ones You Love” and “Heavenly Showers.” However, just because the album is less tumultuous doesn’t mean it’s less energetic or lacking in writing material. Take, for example, “Butterfly,” one of the creepiest tunes that Twin Peaks has ever produced (even the new music video is a horror story).
Even though Twin Peaks is arguably on its way to becoming huge after numerous festival appearances and a growing audience of listeners, the band takes it back to Chicago with “My Boys.” “My Boys,” is a direct reference to being “far from home,” and consequently, “my boys.” It’s no secret that the boys of Twin Peaks are in love with their hometown—they are heavily involved in Chicago politics, constantly tweet about the city and are known to have a close relationship with other Chicago bands, such as The Orwells. “My Boys,” on first glance, seems to pay homage to the Windy City.
“Down in Heaven” is simply great. It’s old school, as much as “old school” can mean in 2016. The album seems more timeless than “Wild Onion” or “Sunken,” and one can only imagine teenagers listening to it decades from now. Want a taste of Twin Peaks? Catch the five-piece at the Larimer Lounge on June 28 and listen to the band on Spotify.
