Twonees approach storytelling cinematically in “Bison.” Led by Canmore-based songwriter Kieran Lehan, the project has always wandered between indie rock experimentation and rugged folk textures, but this latest single digs its boots firmly into the dusty terrain of outlaw country and cinematic folk rock.
Taken from the upcoming album First 40 Years of Childhood, the track imagines the return of the Banff bison herd from the perspective of the animal itself, carrying the weight of memory, displacement, survival, and near extinction. As you can imagine, the song feels alive, wild-eyed, and windswept. It’s a mountainous attempt at reimagining the scenic atmosphere.
Right from the get-go, “Bison” rolls in with heavy acoustic strumming that ripples like a rushing river through open plains. The slow-burning drums stomp steadily underneath, while faint writhing strings hover in the distance like a storm gathering over the horizon. Kieran Lehan’s deep, weathered voice enters carefully, singing with a grave patience that fits the song’s perspective perfectly. The track takes its sweet time.
Bit by bit, the arrangement begins to swell. Cymbals smack against the mix with growing urgency, pedal steel sighs through the atmosphere, and the violins rise dramatically, giving the track a panoramic, almost spaghetti-western grandeur. Then, midway through, the drums suddenly burst loose into a pelting frenzy, as though the herd itself has broken into a desperate gallop across the plains.
Twonees’ “Bison” becomes the musical tapestry of the ecologically expansive element. The campfire folk ballad becomes something towering and cinematic. Somewhere between outlaw country, indie rock, and prairie poetry, the band has carved out a sound entirely their own. “Bison” does not just tell a story — it runs straight through you like thunder across open land.
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Review by: Naomi Joan