Since debuting in 2013, garage-rockers Twin Peaks have made a name for themselves on the indie scene for blending the best elements of 1960s rock sounds with their cheeky, teenage attitude for impeccably cool tracks. On their third album, "Down in Heaven," many critics say that the Chicago boys have finally "matured" and become "professional." This label seems a little intense for the group. Lead singer/guitarist Cadien Lake James told the Chicago Tribune, "We're still some sloppy rock 'n' roll dudes." The new release doesn't try to hide this, but it does show off the things they've learned.
The album was recorded this past summer in a friend's house in northern Massachusetts, and was produced by John Agnello, who has previously worked with Kurt Vile and Sonic Youth. On 2014's "Wild Onion," the group said they were influenced by the late 1960s work of the Rolling Stones. This continues to come through on "Down in Heaven," which is loaded with bright, brassy guitars and horns, as well as a decent amount of bluesy undertones that throw back to the work of other '60s rockers such as the Kinks.
The opening track and lead single, "Walk to the One You Love," sets the tone for the entire album. It introduces listeners to the blending of vocals that will continue and has a taste of each instrument, including the newest addition of Colin Croom on keyboards. Lyrically, it explores the theme of falling in love but doing everything in your power to resist it with the croony lyrics, "I would hate to see you walk away / But I won't cry or beg for you to stay."
It's the kiss-off attitude the guys have always had toward the wrongdoings of girls with about as much eloquence as we can ever hope to get from them -- but eloquence is not what draws fans to Twin Peaks. They instead are fans of their honesty, and that is driven home on "Down in Heaven."
Being beaten up by love continues to be explored on the crooning ballad "Wanted You," where things are slowed down and the consequences of 2014's "Making Breakfast" saying "nothing lasts forever" are explored on a chilly evening walk. Other noteworthy tracks include the paranoid jam "Butterfly" that definitely sounds like a B-side track from a late 1960s rock release, the smooth and ethereal "You Don't" where love outweighs sensibility, and "Heavenly Showers," a stripped back acoustic where guitarist Clay Frankel and James work together to tell a beautifully sad story that almost appears to be at the heart of every Twin Peaks song, in general.
This album itself can sound like a bit of a emotional story, and therefore all tracks are truthfully worth a listen as they go through an evolution of love and life when listened to together from start to finish.
"Have You Ever?" concludes the album. The track solidifies the multi-prong aspects of the work, layering a pop-driven beat, steadily moving bass line, and grungier lyrics for an anthem that drives all the themes home. As a series of rhetorical questions are sung out, followed by the chorus, "I've been lonely, too," we are reminded that "Down in Heaven" is for the nice guy who's had his heart broken just as much as the stoner who can't figure out how much he cares. That unifying factor is what makes it a sweet treat for their broadest audience yet.
Twin Peaks will be visiting New York City later this month on their tour, with stops at Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 24 and The Bowery Ballroom on May 25.
