Quarter Mile Thunder are rock band out of Chicago. Twist is the product of much frustration and hard work, with lead Ben Clarke first trying to record in 2004. Looking to start a new project after a band spilt, Clarke went to a studio owned by Wilco member Jay Bennett to record but struggled to find his niche, experimenting with acoustic set-ups, full bands and drum machines without one ever feeling right. After years of failed attempts and time filled playing bass in other bands and driving cabs, Clarke finally found the spark in 2010 and Quarter Mile Thunder were born, unfortunately after the death of Bennett.
Here, the difficulty in set-ups is successfully overcome, with Clarke outlining the songs with his words and guitar before letting others fill them in to create an experimental breed of folk-rock. Banjos, synths, saxophones, a whole host of instruments pop up over the record while all held together with Clarke’s vocals. The result is a strange blend of human and alien, spacey sounds over warm lyrics. In retrospect the artwork makes sense, something that is very human and familiar yet not.
The album is available now on Bandcamp on a pay-what-you-want basis. Twist became a tribute to it’s creation. A testament to hard work, friendship and the refusal to give up a goal. An album of emotions and experiments. Twist deserves your attention.