What started as a cover band for café and bar gigs has turned into one of the Twin Cities' most promising new original acts: Honeydogs frontman Adam Levy's harmonious folk-twang trio Turn Turn Turn with fellow singer/songwriters Savannah Smith and Barb Brynstad dropped its first single Friday, teasing to the June 5 release of their debut album.
Titled "Cold Hard Truth," the song has a resilient lyrical tone that sounds timely amid the quarantine, while the alt-twang sonic vibe evokes comparisons to '70s Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, '80s Rosanne Cash and 2010s-era Jenny Lewis. It was posted with an Ilia Stockert-directed music video (see below).
Levy, Smith and Brynstad had been mutual friends in the music scene well before stepping out with a steady stream of gigs over the past year, including a well-received residency at the Aster Café over the winter. An alum of the Institute of Production & Recording (where Levy taught), Eau Claire-reared Smith has been a rising star who dropped her full-length debut, "Leo," last year. Brynstad is also a bassist who has played with the likes of the late Willie Murphy and Tina Schlieske.
"Cold Hard Truth" is one of 11 originals that will be featured on "Can't Go Back," which the trio recorded last year at Jason Shannon's Zoo School studio in St. Croix Falls, Wis. Acoustic versions of some of the album's other tracks have also been posted at the band's new webite, turnturnturnmpls.com.
"Feels like some of the best music I've been a part of for years," Levy proudly declared of the record.
Of course, release-party plans for "Can't Go Back" are on hold, pending the end of the coronavirus quarantine. Nonetheless, the album will arrive in time for warm summer vibing.
