All too often bands channeling the doo wop sway and groove of the 50s are enslaved nostalgists who will swear they were born in the wrong era if you ask why they chose a 60-year old platform. They role with pin-ups girls, grease up or caridgan up, and they get a little too emotional around the anniversary of Buddy Holly's death.
Twin Steps find a happy medium between being genuine fans of doo wop, as collectors and players, and retaining a presence in the very real and very modern world where techology is inescapable. Lead vocalist Drew Pearson is a manic in the mic and skilled weeper, but he can't pull off Etta James' gruff swoon. It's a minor setback if you own a sampler and you're not afraid to use it. Drew don't scare. Before he linked up with Summer Blondes' guitarist Jonathan Reddick, he was fiddling with a sample-based solo project.
The group's debut EP, Serial Parade, is a courageous endeavor, as it will sound heinous to rock purists, but is far too punk to garner respect from the hip hop contingent. It's an album without a distinct home in the record store bins. I don't get to say this often, but… thanks Oakland, for your unwavering creative courage.
Twin Steps' Serial Parade is out April 10 on Cola Bruin.
