Twin WOrlds - Twin Worlds

Twin Worlds 

Twin Worlds
self-released; 2016

​3.3 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Twin Worlds is a solo effort. He recorded a very lo-fi effort that sounds like it was recorded on a phone or a laptop at best. This release features guitar and vocals. 

Apparently he was influenced by Devendra Banhart to record because of an interaction they had. I’m quite familiar with Banhart’s music and I thought Rejoicing in the Hands was a solid record. Banhart’s influence is so obvious to anyone who is familiar with him that you can’ think of anything else while listening to this. It’s in the lyrics to the inflection in his voice and the guitar playing as well. This is going to be a hard pill for him to swallow but it needs to be said. If he hopes to gain a larger audience he is going to shed this influence right away or at least not have it show up so overtly in his music.. He sounds way too similar to Banhart to have validation as a unique artist..

He starts with “1000 Suns” which revolves around a simple yet pretty guitar melody. There are some issues early on as there is too much space between some of the chord progressions. Other than that I  really enjoyed the song. 

Up next is “Plum Picking Giraffe” which is picking a basic blues riff on a guitar. “Nobody Knows” is fairly catchy all things considered while “Every Sound, Every Sight” sounds like Banhart's B-side.

​There are some favorable moments on this short effort but Twin Worlds has a long way to go to compete with the best artists in a world where anyone with a laptop can record an album. I’m thirty-five now and remembering being a young musician. In my early 20’s I was influenced by Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins, and those two would show up in the music.

While those artists I’m sure in some way show up in my music today it's not nearly as noticeable. My point is that he needs to start making a conscious decision to start finding his own path. If that means listening to drone metal and shoegaze so be it. Dig and keep digging till you start to feel it. Some find it, others never really do but I promise this is the best path to be on .

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