If you’re wondering about the photo above, I can assure you Twin Studies has not become a Jay Stanley solo project. Although the guitarist/vocalist has served as both the face and stabilizing force for the band over the years as it has shuffled through various lineups, the project remains very much a group affair. In fact, Stanley recently stated that drummer Adam Weisberg deserves much of the credit for keeping Twin Studies motivated and focused as it sorted out its personnel issues and turned its eye towards the future.
Now, as the band heads into 2017, it arrives with its strongest lineup ever. In addition to Stanley and Weisberg, Hollis Griffin (vocals, guitar, synth) and bassist Ben Kinzer (Newark Wilder) have joined the fold, and together they allow for a sound that is sharper and more mercurial. The first product of the group’s latest incarnation is “Rise and Shine,” a dreamy pop number led by jagged guitars and billowing synths that float and recede like clouds after a summer sun shower. In the past, the band has largely eschewed pop clarity for textured walls of sound, so to hear them chase after hooks, even ones coated in such iridescent shimmer, is refreshing. It’s impossible to know whether this is just an anomaly or a sign of things to come, but with another single scheduled to drop in February and a new EP, Decay, due in March, we’ll soon find out.
Twin Studies will perform at Ohmpark Fest on Sat., Jan. 7 at the Earl. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Tickets are available here. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: twinstudies.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @TwinStudies
Instagram: @twinstudies
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/twinstudies