Singer-Songwriter Leif Vollebekk is releasing his latest album Twin Solitude on the 24th  February.

By Jane Howkins.

Canadian singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk is about to release his new album Twin Solitude, which is his third solo release after 2010’s Inland and 2013’s North Americana. This album was written after a period of writers block for Vollebekk, with spontaneity being the name of the game here. Vollebekk decided to take a more impulsive approach to songwriting, with most of the new songs written in one sitting.

This makes for an interesting listen, as you can really get an insight into Vollebekk’s head – giving  a great feeling of intimacy to proceedings. It’s a captivating feeling, and it’s nice to hear someone from this genre adding more of a personal touch. Lead single Elegy particularly encompasses this, and it’s definitely worth checking out, if nothing else. What’s also nice is the range of different styles present on Twin Solitude, with hints of indie, folk, and the blues all here, providing an insight into Vollebekk’s influences – as well as the music inside his head.

Unfortunately, Vollebekke falls into the same trap that a lot of musicians from this genre do. It sounds a little samey at times, and there doesn’t seem to be enough variety in these tracks. They’re not bad by any means and there are some real gems here, but for those looking for something a little more ‘special’, this might not be it. This could of course be due to the spontaneous manner in which these songs were written, as whilst this does sound like a rather romantic way of doing things, in reality songs often need more polish before being unleashed.

This is typical singer-songwriter fare and it’s not going to change the world – but then again, does it really need to? If simply enjoying music is enough (and for many of us it is), then Twin Solitude does the job.