Ears Wide Open: Twin Oaks

S.Lo on January 9th, 2019

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Lauded on both sides of the pond, Twin Oaks began as a duo centered around longtime friends Lauren Brown (vocals) and Aaron Domingo (vocals, guitar, keys and programming) of Los Angeles, growing in strides since their debut self-produced mini-album, “The Lion’s Den.” They call themselves “dream-pop folk,” but their songs bely a much broader range inclusive of hardcore shoegaze and introspective indie rock. With Marilyn Beltran (drums) and Aroldo Rios (bass, keys) now rounding out the rhythm section, they’ve completed three EPs and a full-length and opened for the likes of the Joy Formidable, Mt. Joy, Emma Ruth Rundle, Flora Cash, AKW and NAVVI.

Their upcoming album, “See You When I See You,” finds them helming their own production once again. The songs “Getting Nowhere” and “Last Call” were released this week as previews. “Getting Nowhere” is a gleaming gem with the perfect balance of hard, loud overdrive and quieter contemplation, befitting the lyrics about pulling someone out of a well of deep despair and helping them see brightness again (or at least that they’re not alone). The video, shot by Beltran and edited by Beltran and Brown, features night scenes throughout London — narrow stone sidewalks, endless tube tunnels of the Underground, record shops, museums and bars. It’s perhaps a nice homage to their music audience there (inclusive of Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins) who have opened their arms to the group. “Last Call” hits at the artery of a failed (or never-realized) relationship, with a haunting soundscape against a heavy step and Brown repeating, “those images of who I’ll never be… you said we could have been good, now it’s too late.” It’s a dark and beautiful portrait of loss that captures that feeling of being simultaneously moored and unrooted by rejection. If our recent gray skies are any indication, this will be the year for Twin Oaks.

||| Watch: “Getting Nowhere”