The Watson Twins

Fire Songs (Vanguard)

By Christine Werthman
Published: June 29th, 2008 | 9:00am

Sharing the stage with family members might lead to tantrums in some circles, but the Watson Twins prove that the Osmonds aren’t the only ones who can live and sing in perfect harmony. Chandra and Leigh, who are identical twin sisters, have been singing rich harmonies together since they were kids, but the Watsons gained national attention when Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley handpicked them to be her vocal backup on her solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat. Fire Songs, the duo's debut LP, shows off the pair’s perfect blend of vocals but does little to stretch the sound beyond coffee house slow jams.

Opener “How Am I To Be” offers an upbeat start to the album, with pianos and chimes, 1950s pop guitar, and the twins’ warm alt-country singing. But from there on out, the album slows down considerably. An adult-contemporary, Natalie-Merchant-meets-Beth-Orton vocal vibe emerges, and the songs sound tired and flabby as they stretch beyond the four-minute mark. Some of the tracks incorporate slide guitar and brass, which provide some additional flavor, while tracks like “Old Ways” lean into a folk sound that emphasizes the trademark Watson Twins harmonies. A cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” even pops up, but it contains none of the urgency and agitation that made the original so successful.

“Waves” closes Fire Songs with a strong sendoff of rolling drums and a suspended synthesized line that makes the track less hazy than the others. The song ends the album on an upbeat note, aligning itself with “How Am I To Be.” As a whole, the album falls short of what could have come from this talented duo. Fire Songs has two solid bookends, but the soft middle needs some firming up.

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