Twinsmith’s “Feels” is a song for people who are looking for something deeper, something different… Even if they are not quite sure what that looks like yet.
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Stream: “Feels” – Twinsmith
If you’re looking for one last sun-soaked song of summer, look no further. Twinsmith, an Omaha-based quartet, has just the fix: their latest release “Feels.” The song is an appropriately-titled, lyrical and sonic journey that leaves listeners considering their own emotional involvements and sorting through the handful of emotions that accompany doing so. One listen and it is obvious this song transcends beyond a catchy tune; it is a song for people who are looking for something deeper, something different…even if they are not quite sure what that looks like yet. It is a buzzy, spinning account of aching to escape a situation that is holding you back and being determined to pull yourself out of it, even if at first glance, it seems difficult.
Despite its lighthearted, summery, sound, perpetuated through heavy yet mellowing guitar, grounding drums, and even an organ, the band grapples with heavier topics in the song. The contrast between the song’s sound, which is bright and upbeat, and its meaning adds another layer of intricacy. Sonically speaking, it diverts from the group’s older music, but feels undoubtedly linked to their 2017 full-length album, Stay Cool. Stay Cool, which the band proclaims “rewards with its ability to connect,” garnered media attention when “You & I” was placed in the 2018 Netflix film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. With “Feels,” Twinsmith appear to be even more in-tune than ever before, both with their own feelings and also what their audience is experiencing.
While Twinsmith’s music always feels big and all-encompassing, “Feels” takes this to the next level. Its up-tempo pacing creates the opportunity for the song to feel like the antithesis of passivity. This mirrors the track’s theme. Despite the fact no action is explicitly being taken, the song feels active. There’s movement, and a lot of this is more sonic than lyrical. At the same time, the tune evokes the feeling of finally making the decision to take a step forward without fully knowing – or trusting – that it is in the right direction, but doing it anyway. In “Feels,” Twinsmith seems vaguely aware that the direction of their step is less significant than the choice to take one itself.
Jordan Smith, Twinsmith’s lead singer, and Matt Regner, who together founded the band in 2013, “started as DIY tinkerers in a basement,” according to the group’s Facebook page. They would continue to “…evolve their sound from hazy surf rock to a fuller, more dynamic guitar-and-keys pop appeal.” Despite this, the hallmarks of surf rock sound still infiltrate their music six years later, as detailed by this track. The result is a sound that is distinctively Twinsmith. It’s organic, bouncy, and has a tangible energy.
The song opens with Smith’s clear voice singing:
There’s a ring inside my head, but it sounds the way I want it to
This hotel rooms looks the same as the night before
Going through the motions but it’s freaking me out
Well it’s freaking me out.
From the opening of the song, Smith reveals himself to be an individual who lives in his head. He continues to add some details around a particular event, noting that, “This hotel room looks the same as the night before,” which appears to upset Smith slightly, considering he adds that he is “going through the motions but it’s freaking me out well it’s freaking me out.” The sentiment of ‘going through the motions’ and failing to actively engage with a moment is a feeling that many people can admit to experiencing from time to time. Sometimes, it is easier to get caught up inside one’s head, and no one knows this better than Smith.
This is the part we all hate the most
And where’s all the people that were inside my head
Walking around feels the same as the night before
Going through the motions but it’s freaking me out
Well it’s freaking me out
The chorus of the song documents a build-up of emotions. “And I’m caught up in a life and it’s telling me to get out get out get out/ Of here,” Smith sings. His honest, vulnerable words are vague enough for listeners to connect with, yet precise enough that we are capable of understanding how he is feeling. Smith sings that he’s “caught up” and that “it” (assumedly his head) is telling him to “get out”. The repetition of “get out” reinforces the idea that Smith knows he needs to leave. That, however, is easier said than done, and Smith seems acutely aware of this. He knows he has to take action, actively let go and get himself out of the place he has been in, but he is also “caught up,” which makes for an interesting juxtaposition.
Smith continues on, singing “This is the part we all hate the most and where’s all the people that were inside my head.” Here, he reveals that he feels isolated, asking “Where’s all the people that were inside my head?” He goes on and his emotions continue to build and become more and more evasive.
And I’m caught up in a life and it’s telling me to get out, get out, get out
And I’m caught up in a life and it’s telling me to get out, get out, get out
Of here
There is not a way out
There is not a way out (I’m counting on you)
There is not a way out (I’m counting on you, counting on you, counting on you)
It is on the bridge where there’s finally a release for Smith, both sonically and lyrically. He realizes here that ultimately, “There is not a way out”. There is then an intense guitar part in the song, and the overall sensation of realization. Instead of simply finding a way out of his feelings, he has to work through them before he can move on and leave the situation behind. This part of the song also includes the repeat of the phrase “[I’m] Counting on you.”
There’s also a push and pull, with Smith’s singing “There is not a way out,” suggesting that he feels pessimistic towards the chance of escaping what he is looking to, and in contrast, his singing “I’m counting on you,” which suggests that he is planning on someone helping to pull him out of the situation.
“Feels” is a high-emotion, complex song and a slight commentary on the struggle of escaping a situation or place that holds you back. Twinsmith continue to connect to their audience with this lively track that forces us to consider our own entanglements and how we can free ourselves from the grip they have on us. Everyone can get caught up at times, but Twinsmith remind us to keep moving, to take a step, and trust it will be in the right direction.
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? © Alicia Skillman
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