Forks, the newest album from The Strange Valentines, exists at a crossroads. Even the nature of the duo themselves seems to be at odds. Janet Mills embodies the down-home feel of Maritime folk, while Australian rocker David Farrell brings a bit more edge. The two meld their styles flawlessly, resulting in a unique beauty to their sound.
The “forks” of the album’s namesake came from the duo’s move from Regina, Saskatchewan to River John, Nova Scotia. Produced by Farrell in his home studio, the challenge and ultimate goal was for the album to have the perfect balance of all the energy of a live performance and the personal experience of a solo-listening session. The acoustic, intimate nature of the album is an effort to sincerely capture these inspirations.
And it works. There’s a general sense of disillusionment to be felt. Many of the songs deal with concepts like missing the past, regretting choices, and pure disappointment in the way life has turned out. This sense of conflict is laid out most plainly in “Fool’s Gold”, which details the moral dilemma of leaving an unethical career. The track opens with Farrell’s pained vocals, “Should I stay, or leave today? Stick around or drive away?” The emotion is immediately gripping. Troubling as these issues may be, the duo have found a way to make it sound pretty.
Although the concept of being “pretty” might seem basic, it really is the perfect descriptor for the soundscape the duo have created. The beautifully layered harmonies, coupled with the ever-present light plucking of Mills’s mandolin, prove to be a deadly combo in any setting. In “Heartbreak”, it replicates the hopeless ache of loss with painstaking accuracy. In “High Horse”, it instead paints a vivid image of rolling plains and sunshine.
These lighthearted songs are scarce. The mission is clear – to portray the lonely reality of hard decisions. Each song feels like a reflection of significant moments in history, whether that’s personal or in a grander scope. While this can often feel particularly grim, that’s more just the nature of things than the duo’s actual outlook. In reality, The Strange Valentines treat these forks as inevitable stepping stones – choices that everyone has to make, proving they’re not so lonely after all.