DOWN IN HEAVEN
As I peered over the railing of the Music Hall of Williamsburg balcony, I could feel electricity in the air. As audience members eagerly awaited the arrival of Chicago-based rock band Twin Peaks, I couldn’t help but reminisce about days gone by.
Let’s rewind to the year 2014 when Twin Peaks played another Williamsburg venue, Baby’s All Right and brought the house down. Literally. During their set, they went so hard that the roof of the venue collapsed. By the next song, my friends and I found ourselves passing pieces of the roof around to other audience members as we all moshed together. When a crowd comes together like that in a hilarious, special way, that is the magic of rock music. It’s something I’ll never forget.
Since then, the dudes of Twin Peaks have toured worldwide, playing venues larger than Baby’s, as well as festivals like SXSW. A year later, in 2015, I had the pleasure of seeing them again at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. However, unlike last Tuesday night, I was one of the eager audience members dancing at floor level. This time, the crowd wasn’t passing around pieces of a broken roof. Instead, they were passing around my hat and my friend’s shoes—proof that the dudes sharpened their performance skills, prompting me to mosh harder than I did the previous year.
TUESDAY 05/24/16 – BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Now, we return back to the present—I’m leaning over the balcony, and suddenly the crowd begins to scream. The Twin Peaks dudes have finally made their grand entrance onto the stage. The show was nothing short of proof that the band’s sound has matured greatly, just like my friends and I have since 2014.
This show was one of many in support of Twin Peaks’ third record Down in Heaven. When I first heard the record, I was a bit surprised. The boys have departed from the garage rock sound that I became so accustomed to during my years listening to Sunken and Wild Onion. With Down in Heaven, Twin Peaks delivers tunes that are less punk rock, and more folk/blues. It is clear that they have come a long way since Sunken.
There’s no surprise then, that Down in Heaven sounds just as killer live as it does on Spotify or a record player. The new has been perfectly blended with the old on the Twin Peaks set list—beloved songs like “Stand in the Sand” and “Making Breakfast” sound great in contrast with new songs like “Butterfly” and “Wanted You.” With this dynamic, the dudes achieved a perfect middle ground between head-banging rock anthems and calming blues melodies.
Down in Heaven is the perfect album for those summer nights with the best of friends. Each track is relatable, and the lyrics provide honest descriptions about relationships, growing older and “Getting Better.”
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