Twin Peaks - Wild Onion Vinyl Record

Don’t bother asking Twin Peaks about the deeper meaning of their band name. They simply thought it sounded cool, which explains why their second album Wild Onion isn’t as spooky or surreal as David Lynch’s short-lived TV show. It’s more like a modern-day Nuggets, with Ty Segall, Black Lips and Thee Oh Sees curating instead of Lenny Kaye. Not literally, of course. But the spirit of those garage demigods is alive and well alongside subtle nods to everything from the Pixies and Tame Impala to the godfathers of guitar-guided pop music, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.

If combining the influence of so many classic artists seems like a lofty goal for a group of 20-year-olds, just remember that Twin Peaks’ core quartet—frontman Cadien Lake James, guitarist Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan and drummer Connor Brodner—has roots that reach back to elementary school. After cutting his teeth during his high school freshman year in a duo with his older brother Hal, James reconnected with his old chums and formed what would become Twin Peaks, and the chemistry was immediately undeniable.

Having quickly cut their debut LP, 2013’s Sunken, in Cadien’s basement so they could sell it on tour, the band was excited to spend more time developing Wild Onion, a record that reveals a level of maturity beyond all the amp-singeing solos, ragtag rhythms and dizzying voices of three distinct singer-songwriters. Unlike acts who let their egos get in the way, Cadien, Clay, and Jack share the spotlight and play to one another’s strengths as Connor keeps things moving with a steady beat.

1. I Found a New Way
2. Strawberry Smoothie
3. Mirror of Time
4. Sloop Jay D
5. Making Breakfast
6. Strange World
7. Fade Away
8. Sweet Thing
9. Stranger World
10. Telephone
11. Flavor
12. Ordinary People
13. Good Lovin’
14. Hold On
15. No Way Out
16. Mind Frame