Twin Forks ‘Self-Titled’

Words by Emilia D’Albero

I’ll be honest, folk isn’t exactly my favorite genre of music ever. Actually, is it anyone’s favorite genre? Even if folk isn’t very popular, Twin Forks have managed to combine it with a soft rock sound to create a feel-good album that will have your feet tapping in no time. Rhythmic guitars, banjo melodies, and Chris Carrabba’s poetic lyrics make Twin Forks’ debut album a must-listen for fans of Dashboard Confessional or Further Seems Forever.

The project, also featuring Suzie Zelden of The Narrative, Jonathan Clark, and Ben Homola of Bad Books, has managed to capture the emotional complexity of a Dashboard Confessional album with a carefree folk sound something like Mumford and Sons. The album as a whole seems to tell the story of a rocky yet beautiful relationship, with all the trials and tribulations that come with it.

Opening with “Can’t Be Broken,” Carrabba declares his unwavering love for his significant other, dropping phrases like “blind devotion” and “there won’t be another like you” while Zelden provides delicate harmonies to contrast Carrabba’s raw, raspy vocals over an upbeat, enthusiastic melody. In “Back to You,” he continues to proclaim his passion as he “follows the signs right back to you”. This track is more lighthearted than some of the others on the album, similar to the following song, “Kiss Me Darling,” the content of which you can probably guess from the title. Things start to get rough around “Danger,” where the band opts for a more melancholy-sounding acoustic guitar instead of a banjo as Carrabba croons that he “knows things aren’t sitting right” but “there’s miles to go before we’re done”.

The breaking point seems to come at “Done Is Done,” a tune that brings the mood and the tempo down a few notches as the album winds down to the last few tracks, and on “Come On” Carrabba begs his lover to “come home for good, love” as the album starts to regain its original, lighthearted banjo vibe. The last track, “Who’s Looking Out,” gives the listener some closure about the status of the couple but also lets the listener down, because the result doesn’t sound too promising.

You can’t help but feel bad for Carrabba, who appears to have poured his heart and soul out, but to no avail. Twin Forks is a very emotionally invested album that will make you feel things even if you don’t want to. Seriously, I was sad for no reason by the time I finished listening to this album and I really just needed a hug.

Overall, I was impressed by Twin Forks’ ability to turn folk into a listenable and relatable genre by adding their own musical elements into the album. I would recommend this album to anyone with a currently broken heart in need of shedding a few tears of self-pity, or to anyone who enjoys a good acoustic guitar ballad.