The band Two Truths is one of Rochester, New York’s newest indie pop/rock outfits. And one of the most exciting.
Conceived during the pandemic by musicians and roommates Blake Pattengale and Garrett Mader, the band dropped their first single, “Brushstrokes,” earlier this fall – the first track from the four-track debut EP, Electric Campfire.
Joined by Max Greenberg on keys and Byron Cage on drums, the band offers a unique brand of sound; one that draws from Americana, folk, and rock, but also modern electronic production.
Guitar-driven songwriting and lush vocal harmonies break bread with synths and electric drums. This sonic architecture provides a perfect backdrop for Pattengale’s thoughtful lyrics, making for a truly memorable batch of songs.
“The story of “Brushstrokes” centers around a man longing to reconnect with his lost love,” writes Mader.
“The video opens with the man (portrayed by Kerry Regan) arriving at his art studio and revisiting an old painting.” Haunting lyrics “I thought I saw your face in a painting” accompany this lonesome beginning. The music feels ambient, with synth textures and fluttery guitar-picking casting a melancholic hue.
The chorus opens up with acoustic textures supporting the lyric ‘When I was a younger man/I’d chase you through the fields/ that we painted with soft brushstrokes.’ The song and video continually support this juxtaposition between a morbid present reality and an unattainable past joy.”
As the song progresses, we see the man step into his past life through the painting. In these memories, his younger self (portrayed by Pattengale) and his partner (Olivia Rose) are seen running through sunny green fields, enjoying an idyllic summer picnic, and basking in young love’s warmth and bliss.
The three other tracks on the EP are solid, especially the second track, “Chasing.”