Chicago's Twin Peaks was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist and guitarist Cadien Lake James. With power chords and power-pop melodies, the band recorded its debut EP in James' basement and released its first full-length, Wild Onion, in 2014. Twin Peaks began while its members were still in high school, and the quartet built up a fervent local following playing house shows and becoming prominent in Chicago's DIY basement scene before graduating to small clubs.
Down In Heaven, out on May 13, is the band's third record — and its most polished. Now a five-piece (keyboardist Colin Croom joined last year), Twin Peaks falls easily into a lineage of power-pop-influenced rock outfits like Teenage Fanclub, Velvet Crush, The Replacements and any number of the one-hit wonders you might find on the Nuggets box set. In concert, its members present as raucous punk rockers who love visceral melodies and messy three-minute songs with loud guitars.
While they're drawn to heritage rock artists like David Bowie, Brian Wilson, The Kinks and The Rolling Stones, the Twin Peaks dudes withhold allegiance to any single source of inspiration. On Down In Heaven, the classic-rock touchpoints are familiar, yet James and his bandmates offer an invigorating reset.
"Holding Roses," one of the album's standout tracks, has a charming, Stones-ish, mid-tempo grace. Flourishes from muted trumpet and some good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll piano riffs give the song musical depth. It's a breakup song, but mostly it's about the moment you realize you've lost something special. "Goodbye baby, and the music starts to fade," guitarist Clay Frankel sings. "Goodbye baby, I really wish you could have stayed."
Down In Heaven comes out May 13 on Grand Jury.
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