Sweet But Unexceptional
American sisters Chandra and Leigh Watson's debut album is an eagerly awaited one following their pairing with Jenny Lewis for 'Rabbit Fur Coat'. 'Fire Songs' is a pleasant mix of laidback country melodies and sultry indie tunes with a lazy vibe. If you're looking for an easy listen that will provide some sweet tunes without demanding much of your attention, then 'Fire Songs' may prove a top contender.
'Fall' is delicate, dark and smouldering with a tense beauty playing out in the acoustic guitar and pirouetting vocals. There are plenty of high quality, but fairly average folk melodies like, 'Sky Open Up', with aspiring choruses that blossom from edgy verses filled with heartache; while it's nice, it just doesn't feel exciting. The glossy bliss of, 'Only You', also feels a little generic as the simpering vocal harmonies rise elegantly from shimmering guitars with a tad of strife stirred in to add a frisson of thrills.
The girls' cover of The Cure's 'Just Like Heaven' is pleasant, taking the tune down a notch or two to make a slow, mellow, honey-smooth lullaby full of enthusing but softly sung vocals lines and a harmonica that adds the perfect sprinkling of folk. The Cure have had many a cover of their work performed, so this is hardly a unique choice, but it's a sumptuous and nice enough take for its inclusion on the album to be justified.
There's a hint of bluesy style in the sultry tones of tunes like 'Map To Where You Are', which suits the musky vocals well, while 'Dig A Little Deeper' and 'Bar Woman Blues' introduce some sweet vocal harmonies to the mix. 'Old Ways' is simply pure relaxed country complete with soothing vocal "ooohs" and chugging acoustic guitar riffs.
While 'Fire Songs' is an inoffensive collection of pretty songs, it's unlikely to appeal to the young indie fan like some of 'Rabbit Fur Coat' did and will probably only score as a hit amongst the more traditional folk or country fanbase.