Two Faces West cover plenty of musical ground on their debut album Postcards From Lonely Places — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
With everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn-style blues and rootsy country to Frank Zappa quirkiness and Black Crowes-with-a-brass-section rock and funk, the long-awaited full-length from this decade-old Denver trio might seem to be all over the map. And no wonder: It was originally conceived as a five-song EP and slated for a release in 2020. But when bassist Vince Carmellini joined up in 2019, the new lineup decided to write five more songs and take it to the next level. The result: A diverse set of songs from a dynamic group of songwriters and players.
Still, it might be more cohesive than the band thinks. Carmelli’s bass brings funk to the forefront in tracks like Ain’t Got A Clue while the album toggles back and forth between junkyard country, folk styles and more classic blues. It’s a slice of Americana that the band are and should be proud of, partially because of all tis genre jumping.
The title of the album reflects one general theme: Stories of American lives and the daily grind of life experienced, in all its glories and defeats, tragedies and triumphs. Many of the songs are based on true events, such as Moonshiners, about the secret lives of two brothers on the Eastern plains of Colorado, and the story of the Columbine Mine Massacre in 1927 that took place in the West Boulder Highlands from the perspective of one of the miners that was killed.
A compendium of all Two Faces West’s styles over the years, Postcards From Lonely Places ushers in a new era for this locally loved ensemble while paying homage to their past. After starting off in the small mountain town called Gunnison, Two Faces West have spent 10 years relentlessly touring, while releasing one EP (By The Book, 2017) and a trio of singles.
Listen to Postcards From Lonely Places below, watch the video for Ain’t Got A Clue above, and connect with Two Faces West on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
