Watson Twins: Fire Songs

Elly Roberts reviews

Watson Twins: Fire Songs
Distributed by
Vanguard RecordsCover

  • Released: June 2008
  • Rating: 6/10
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Kentucky duo’s full-length debut – luvvvelleee!

Identical twins Chandra and Leigh Watson are well known on the Los Angeles folk-country-rockscene, now they get to shine on a bigger stage.

Fire Songs is typical of the new wave of Americana taking the world bymeans of a (quiet) storm. You might already know of them due to their involvementwith both Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis, so it comes as no surprise they’ve had abash on their own, as duo of course.

At the heart of their beautiful music is a heavy emphasis on golden harmonies,which they exploit with magnificent execution. However, the lyrical contentsuggests a darker side. Take the opening How Am I To Be, by far the bestand most commercial track on offer written by Chandra, is a song of self-reconciliationand tolerance.


The swooning countrified Lady Love Me leans towards their new-folktendencies, whereas the brooding Fall, which isn’t sung particularlywell, is more indie-folk-rock. Back on more familiar sweet Americana territory,they masterfully re-invent The Cure’s Just Like Heaven, a minor hit forRobert Smith’s band way back in 1987, making it all their own.

Map To Where You Are.This is a tale, about a lover’s doubt and suspicion, cleverly worked into amish-mash musical style. After the weakest songs Dig A Little Deeperand Sky Open, they return to form on the jangly guitar worked Bar Woman Blues,by Leigh, who claims that her ‘regular haunt’, as depressing a place it mightbe, is an a easy place to be.

With Old Ways once again delving into their country ballad roots, it showcasestheir mastery of close harmony aided by some delicate pedal steel swoops.

Again, Waves, finds the pair in reflective mode, with a simple formatthat suits the mood.

File under: Very good start.

Weblink:thewatsontwins.com


The full list of tracks included are :

1. How Am I To Be
2. Lady Love Me
3. Fall
4. Just Like Heaven
5. Map To Where You Are
6. Dig A Little Deeper
7. Sky Open Up
8. Bar Woman Blues
9. Only You
10. Old Ways
11. Waves

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