Album Review: Broken Twin’s “May”

If you’ve never heard of Broken Twin, now you have. To give you a quick debriefing, Broken Twin has a  Sara Bareilles reminiscent style. By that, I mean her songs seem simple for the most part: guitar, piano, and her voice. However, it’s her ability to move the listener with her voice that truly shows her skill. Don’t expect anything too fast or upbeat; Broken Twin’s style is slower, simpler but altogether beautiful.

Starting with “The Aching,” Broken Twin starts the album off with a sweeping song about loss and loneliness. I can really feel the pain in her voice as she sings through this song , with a piano playing in the background. I really love her control and vibrato. What’s striking about her is her ability to control everything that the listener hears; every single nuance is deliberate but comes out effortlessly.

She continues with “Glimpse of a Time,” an acoustic song that’s truly about her voice. Broken Twin’s higher register really shows on this piece. As she croons about love, the listener can’t help but be affected. What’s so intriguing is how simple the song is; many of today’s songs involve layers upon layers of editing and auto-tune. Broken Twin’s skill lies in her ability to take something simple and turn it into a masterpiece. I don’t know if it’s her voice or her emotion or psyche. All that I know is that “Glimpse of a Time” is probably one of the best songs I’ve listened to in a while.

One slight annoyance I had is that Broken Twin’s songs seemed to assimilate into each other. I respect the artists who can make every single song individual- Broken Twin is on the right track, but she isn’t there yet. “No Darkness” was absolutely phenomenal. It was dark, dreamy, and gorgeous. However, some of the songs in the album seem almost the same. Perhaps they convey the same feelings or perhaps I’m not listening intently enough.

Overall though, May is a great breakout album from up and coming artist Broken Twin. Her artistry is unique and beautiful. The fact that she chooses to embrace simplicity is something that I greatly respect. I’m already anxious for her next album! Definitely do buy May– it’s out already, and trust me, the price is worth it!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10