The Watson Twins: Fire Songs

The Watson

Twins have been gigging around Los Angeles for years, but they rose to national

prominence as crack backup singers on Jenny Lewis' 2006 album Rabbit Fur

Coat. That

much-loved album casts a long shadow, and the Twins' full-length debut sans

Lewis doesn't do quite enough to step out of it. But what Fire Songs lacks in flash it makes up for in

listenability, casting a series of gentle, ethereal songs that are almost

aggressively serene. This many slow, unobtrusive tracks packed together could

easily retreat into bland background music, but for the most part the Twins

keep things engaging with perfectly matched, smoky voices that excel on twangy,

noir-folk tracks like "Sky Open Up" and "Bar Woman Blues," as well as an

unexpected take on The Cure's "Just Like Heaven." The Watsons prove themselves

to be compelling songwriters and interpreters, with a natural, unvarnished take

on their material (highlighted by the album's warm sound). Their vocals can

occasionally become a bit limiting—as on the anemic "Waves"—and

there's not much in the way of hooks to catch the ears of those who aren't

already listening carefully, but those paying attention should find plenty to

latch on to.