(Jam Jar Records, 2010)The World Is Not Flat! is a transatlantic folk duo consisting of American guitarist and singer Chris Faroe and Roxy from Oxford’s very own The Mountain Parade. Opening song ‘Cranes’ sets the tone and dynamic for the rest of the album; hushed vocals, wistful, conversational lyrics and subtle instrumental flourishes backing up the ever present acoustic guitars calling to mind early Iron and Wine records but with slightly less lo-fi fuzz. ‘Passing Trains’ is the most dynamic song on the album, and in that sense was the obvious choice for the single but TWINF! are at their best when they strip the ingredients down to simple instrumentation and their sweet, almost whispered vocals. ‘Glastonbury’ is perhaps the highlight of the album, a mournful song of cross-Atlantic longing with some beautiful harp accompaniments.
At some points the saccharine feel of the album begins to grate but songs like ‘Jericho’ have an enchanting air of mystery about them and we’re reminded that this is after all an album about friendship and bridging two continents, a point highlighted by an instrumental sound-piece which divides the album into the halves recorded in England and America. This is a ‘lovely’ album but whether you take that to be a bad or a good thing is up to you.
[Originally printed in Oxfordshire Music Scene, issue 10, Autumn 2010]
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