Twin Brothers

Ron and Don Croft grew up with one thing in mind – taking the rock world by storm. With their debut CD they’ve begun doing just that. WHO’S WHO is a nice little collection of potent rockers and well-thought out progressive melodies that have been a long time coming, ten tracks in all. One plays guitar, one plays drums. They don’t specify which does what – nor does it really matter. They share the same influences, passions and goals. A line in the title-track says it all – “It’s a reflection – 3D mirror projection”. But for the record – Ron plays guitar while Don handles the drums and the majority of the vocals.

The brothers have been playing together since the age of 10 (they’re in their late 20’s now) and have amassed an impressive resume playing the Ontario circuit (including twins’ festivals), racking up 50+ credentials to their resume. They’ve taken the years of production tricks up their sleeves they’ve learned and incorporated them into their own unique style, unlike anything you’re going to hear on the airwaves today. From the opening of the lead-off title track, you know this is going to be special. There’s a whole lot of production in the song, experience accumulated with running their own in-house production facilities in Scarborough.

They describe the disc as about 9 months of serious work in the making, with another 10 years of preparation. Fuzzy guitar effects and ominous feeling stay prevelant throughout the whole disc. “Video” takes you on what can best be described as the second leg of an endless rock and roll journey. The thought-provoking lyrics show you they’ve put some time and thought into this project.

Saying The Twins grew up with music in their household is an understatement. Their mother has taught piano since high school, with Sam Reid of Glass Tiger one of her more prominent students. With the family’s obvious musical background and the Twins’ influences, which include the likes of several other Canadian rockers, including Barenaked Ladies (Don shared skins with Tyler Stewart at one time), Rush, Saga and Tragically Hip, as well as David Bowie and U2, among others.

The Twins utilize both acoustic and electronic drums as well as acoustic and electric guitars on the album. The versatility this adds to their repetoire spans throughout the whole album. They don’t clutter up the tight melodies with needlessly long guitar songs, preferring to concentrate on the catchy hooks that are going to make waves in the rock world, such as “Video” and “Always A Way”. The songs never really take a ‘serious’ poke at music, yet completely steer away from the ‘fluff’ that crowds the scene these days. “The New Age” is a reflective look at life, while “Fast Forward” is an almost accidental self-prophecizing view of their stand in the rock world.

The Twin Brothers are the new kids on the block – and they’re here to stay. Check them out for yourself. Sound clips are available on their website, where you can also order the disc. You’ll know right away ‘who’s who’ – they’re the guys that are going to make you look at rock and roll in a totally different light.