Watson Twins
(Vanguard)
Sometimes ten years of struggle can all pay off simply due to happenstance. Take the case of the Watson Twins, Chandra and Leigh. After nearly a decade trying to establish themselves among the vanguard of L.A.'s alternative elite, they were tapped by Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis to share the credits on her first solo outing, Rabbit Fur Coat in 2006. Since then, their stock has been boosted considerably, so much so that they eventually found their way to the venerable Vanguard label, home of last year's major label debut, Fire Songs, and subsequently, this able sophomore set.
That said, Talking to You, Talking to Me isn't filled with the rustic heartland harmonies that would otherwise befit their Kentucky origins. Rather, the sisters make their music with a knowing sensibility, a modernist approach that often places the emphasis on rhythms to bolster their seamless, dreamy harmonies. In the course of these dozen tracks, the Watsons' vocals vary from languid to assertive, with a tact that veers from the ethereal sounding to a sound that becomes positively chipper by comparison. So while songs like "Forever Me," "Snow Canyons" and "Give Me a Chance" tend to cast the album in a meditative haze, the pronounced stomp of "Savin' You" and "U-N-Me" bolster the bottom line and prevent the set from otherwise becoming a scapegoat for insomnia.
Standout Tracks: "Tell Me Why," "Modern Man" LEE ZIMMERMAN
