(A personal favorite of mine!)
This compilation starts off with “Tossing Tears”, and it’s a very dream start. To an extent, this is actually a very old school sounding Twin Peaks song, with that Slacker vibe shining wonderfully. There’s a very spacey feel to this, which once again is something they’ve dealt with for years. But to be honest, overall this track this so much more to it, and everything from the hazy vocals to the memorable guitar hook makes this a totally solid track in my book. Twin Peaks have come so far from sounding like just some new dreamy Garage Band. Not to mention, I really love the Piano break towards the end on “Tossing Tears”, as well as that sort of cheesy group vocal. As goofy as this track gets, it warms my heart and makes me happy to be a Twin Peaks fan. “Under The Pines” on the other hand is much more of straightforward sound from Twin Peaks, with some very bluesy undertone and a real gritty Garage sound. I love the very raspy vocals, and it may just be me, but I go nuts for just how timeless the music of Twin Peaks sounds at times. For years, obviously, the band have toyed with their retro sound and wore their influences on their shoulder. But this is a totally next level track, with some parts of “Under The Pines” coming off like a cover of sorts. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing though, as it gives this such a cool and interesting sound. Some of the little details are also really great, like the very memorable group vocals at the chorus and some of the Sax lines. Now, “Shake Your Lonely” was one of the earlier tunes I heard from this compilation. And honestly, it almost made me not listen any further. It’s tracks like this where all the things I love about Twin Peaks just come off cheesy and bland. The atmosphere is way too dreamy for my liking, and the dual vocals on this one don’t compliment anything at all. The saxophone parts are pleasant, and I guess a lot of this track isn’t terrible when it’s on. But this is the sort of hazy, uninteresting Garage tune that I was hoping they would have abandoned years ago. Now, “Sun and the Trees” is equally as dreamy, even bordering along the lines of Psychedelic. But at the very least there is some playing here that I can totally get into. They’ve toyed with this sound for years, but this is the most patient sound in this style they’ve ever gone for I feel like. But still, I really am not totally into this. It’s moments like this that totally make me understand why people think that Twin Peaks are just another Garage band with their head int he clouds. While “Sun and the Trees” really isn’t grabbing me either, I have to say some of the later instrumentals are nice to listen to.
Twin Peaks continue to really wear their influences on their sleeves with “Come For Me” and continue to go for a more retro sound than ever. And I honestly really don’t think it’s too bad of a tune. The pianos and other instrumentals are super sweet, and this is easily more catchy and engaging than the last few tunes. But I still feel like Twin Peaks aren’t delivering the sound that they easily could be. Where’s the fun? Where’s the Rock N’ Roll spirit they once had? I’m down for a slow song or two, they’ve made them sound great in the past. But I need a little wake-up call. Now, “Fat Chance” isn’t the wake-up call I needed. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the furthest thing from what I want to hear. This is some goofy, oddball, old-school folk complete with some shaky production. But something about this one hits home so hard with me. While this may be the most gimmicky performance yet, something about this is also incredibly real and heartwarming. It’s smooth, and the low-fi production really takes me back to the simpler times of “Wild Onion”. And some of the vocal melodies are seriously impressive. As one of the most straightforward tunes here, this works wonders. The very breezy, smooth throwback rock tunes continue with “Blue Coupe”. I love just how vast the instrumentals are on this one, with all of those vibrant instrumentals floating through the background. The vocals here are so small and seemingly get swallowed almost constantly by everything else here. But it has such a sense of innocence to it that I can’t say no. A lot of these tracks do sound like forgotten relics to some extent, so if that’s not your thing, obviously this alum isn’t for you. But for an incredibly catchy, likable Garage tune with some Jangle Pop thrown in, this is wonderful. But just like that, “On the Line” sort of takes the wind out of me. Once again, it seems to me like Twin Peaks are trying a little too hard. That’s one thing that I’ve always been not so crazy about them with, the way they’ve always tried a little too hard to be some retro band. Guess what, it comes off strong enough in your own damn style without trying. And when we get tracks like “On the Line”, it becomes suffocating with all of these retro elements. There are good melodies galore, and I honestly think this one has potential, but it just comes off way too dreamy and forgettable.
On the other hand, “With You” is the jolt I needed 100%. I love the bouncy instrumentals, which may be some of the most animated here. The raspy vocals and the endearing lyrics all come off so refreshing. And while yes, there’s certainly a little bit of dreaminess to this track, it comes off incredibly tasteful. That slacker Rock vibe that Mac DeMarco fans will dig is also here in full effect. Moments like THIS remind me of just what Twin Peaks can accomplish and why I’ve loved them so much. “With You” is catchy, sweet, and insanely memorable. By the point “Just Because” rolls along, Twin Peaks have really gotten into their groove. I actually love the return to the scratchy Low-Fi production, and some of the jangly instrumentals are great as well. Is this a pretty straightforward tune that has almost nothing fancy about it? Absolutely. But Twin Peaks pull it off nicely. I do sort of wish this was more fleshed out and more in depth, but I’d be lying if I said this one didn’t stick with me. Plus, that last little guitar solo is brilliant. “In The Meadow” is up next, and it’s just as smooth, I have to really commend Twin Peaks for really branching out with these instrumentals. The vocal effects are also actually a nice touch, even though I’m not always 100% into that. It gives this track a seriously interesting, hazy aesthetic for sure. Twin Peaks continue to wear their influences on their sleeves. But I can’t deny this is just so catchy. I love the singalong chorus and just how instantaneous this one is. Also, let’s address the elephant in the room. I couldn’t be more happy with the way Twin Peaks are able to stretch out this track for nearly 6 minutes, which is honestly something I wasn’t expecting to hear from them. Keep in mind, they’ve made a career for keeping their songs short and sweet. But “In The Meadow” works out really well, almost coming off as the band’s missions statement in a way. This compilation ends off with “We Will Not Make It (Not Without You)”. It starts out very gracefully, with some seriously classy instrumentals. Obviously, this is not what we’ve come to expect from Twin Peaks. But the boys have matured really nicely, and are able to tackle this longer instrumental with a lot of really nice passages. It’s sweet, charming, and packaged really well. While maybe I wish this was a little more fleshed out and wasn’t completely instrumental, it’s a pleasant finale.
Rating: 7.7/10
Give A Listen To: “Tossing Tears”, “In The Meadow”, “Blue Coupe”, “With You”
Genre: Garage Rock / Indie Rock / Slacker Rock
Overall Thoughts: Overall this is a really solid collection of singles from some of Garage Rock's finest. More often than not, Twin Peaks do seem to wear their influences on their sleeve. But that's nothing new, and honestly it's lead them to craft some of their most fleshed out and concrete songs yet. While these singles aren't necessarily as catchy or wild as some of the band's previous material, Twin Peaks have grown up right in front of our eyes. But I have to say, some of the drearier, hazier tunes that I honest to GOD thought they gave up on years ago hold this back from being a must-listen.
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