Who knew soul and folk mixed so well together?

Have you ever listened to a piece of music and instantaneously felt at one with the universe? Rare Feeling might just be that piece of music. Listen and then re-listen to the underlying beauty in each one of the tracks. Twain takes the time to carefully blur the lines between folk, country, soul and indie rock that makes even iTunes classify it as an “unknown genre.”

Twain’s large releases began back in July of 2010 with Love Is All Around and has continued since without a beat. Known for his folky-masculine voice, Twain brings an intimate, “lets talk to each other like we are the only two in the room” feel into Rare Feeling.

The nine-track album starts with a song titled “Solar Pilgrim” that undergoes the intricate idea of our souls and bodies working hand and hand with the vast universe around us. There is a faint static heard in between the guitar riffs and Twain’s shooting voice that almost makes it seem as if it’s years older. “Little Dog Mind” brings a bit of falsetto high notes that border on the line of rock-a-billy and folk-y. “Black Chair” takes it down a notch by bringing a classic my-love-life-is-in-shambles song into the mix. “I’m losing you but you’re losing me too/ You’re everything that I need/ And if I were not such a greedy man/ I could see it, man” are the first words spoken in the song and they are enough to break your heart into rubble.

The album closes with a song titled “Good Old Friend” that could be interpreted into a song about leaving the world behind, a love story gone wrong, or just the song that’s played at the end of a really good party that no one wants to leave. This is a magnificent way to end the album. It gives the listener the opportunity to unwind from the musical journey they were just a passenger on and choose which direction their next adventure might take them. That’s the truly magical thing about Twain. He is your brother, your coworker, your confidante and your best friend without even knowing it.