There’s probably not a single musical underground as diverse as the melting pot of the Canadian indie scene right now, and to understand what I mean, you really need to take a peek at the new record Omen from Twin Flames. While hardly the only interesting Canadian LP I’ve come across this September, what caught my attention most about Omen was how marvelously it seems to balance out all of the trending movements in its native land. There are shades of rock, pop, and a cerebral, almost post-folk influence previously inaccessible in their sound, and together, these many tones and components for one must-listen record everyone should hear this season.
There’s a surprising amount of physicality in this tracklist, even in minimalistic moments like lead single “Battlefields,” “Without Tears” and “Who I Am.” The title cut and “Giants” each flirt with an outrageously sensuous, melody-based expressiveness I would expect to find in more of an ambient pop offering than something vocal-powered, and with any luck, this won’t be the lone occasion on which we hear Twin Flames incorporating this into their songcraft. They’ve grown a lot since their debut, and that’s evident even in a cursory listening session with this LP.
I love the chemistry between these two players, and I don’t know that you’ll need to have been familiar with their music prior to this release to appreciate the natural kinship they’re bringing to “Pisuppunga,” “Shadows” and the amazing “Human.” There’s so much unspoken passion finding its way into the grander scheme of things here that it’s a little difficult to understand why Twin Flames haven’t picked up more steam among American college radio outlets, but then again, it could be that their sound wasn’t quite as full-bodied and polished in stylization as it is in this latest affair.
You don’t have to be a trained music critic to pick up on the unsubtle feeling of optimism in the harmonies of an otherwise brooding “Outcast,” “Grace Too” and “Who I Am,” and to some degree, these harmonies are what keep these songs from being too weighty to be consumed alongside the other material here. Even in introspective moments – and Omen is filled with more than its fair share of them – there’s not a lot of excessive angst in the storytelling, as I get the impression the last thing these two wanted to do was spread negativity beneath the underlying narrative of identity here.
Those who have been looking for a sharp but wholly eclectic listening experience really needn’t look any further for a good time this September than the twelve songs included on the new album Omen from Twin Flames, which is currently out and available everywhere quality Canadian music is sold and streamed. Twin Flames haven’t got the biggest profile of anyone coming out of their scene, but in this LP, they assert themselves as troubadours who aren’t necessarily as interested in mass exposure as they are cathartic communications, which, in my view, is a lot more artistically admirable.
