Just as brevity is the soul of wit, such it is the soul of The Watson Twins’ Fire Songs. The sheer scope of emotion packed into this 43-minute LP, let alone the individual songs, is delicately mesmerizing. No longer are these the sweet-voiced ingénues, who once served as the backup band for Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis. These Twins have gracefully grown in to their angelic voices, capable of holding their own in the dizzying array of artists in today’s indie folk landscape.
At its most upbeat, such as the album opener “How Am I To Be,” creative percussion and shiny guitar inspire one to dance about the room with reckless abandon. As a starting track, it’s solid and sets the bar for the rest of the album. In the larger context of the disc and the Twins’ work to date, it feels a little out of place for this typically mellow duo. Taking risks is a good thing, though, and exemplifies the Watsons’ newfound maturity.
Most important on Fire Songs is that The Watson Twins stay true to their roots. On the whole, this album sounds as if Neil Young had a sex change operation and subsequently decided to clone himself. There are slide guitars and rootsy riffs aplenty here, most notably on “Lady Love Me” and “Old Ways.” “Bar Woman Blues” is a simpler guitar-and-piano track that showcases the duo’s Young-esque songwriting abilities. Everything is just slow enough to never drag along. These are songs to unwind and drift off to sleep to, hopefully transporting one to a lazy dream world of dusky front porches and long drives down hidden highways. Technical skill and adventurous musical variety, while present, are not the most important aspect of Fire Songs. What matters is that this album is evocative and persuasive, inviting you to slow down and let your mind wander for the precious few minutes that you spend with it.
The emotional peak of Fire Songs is the stellar cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” Slowing down the original’s tempo, with the Twins’ voices intertwined about the melody, pushes this old rock favorite from the sweet to the sublime. “Just Like Heaven” epitomizes The Watson Twins’ particular brand of folk-rock. They take a song, whether original or a cover, and lay down a honeyed coating that’s never sickening and always goes down easy. Perfect for the transition between summer and autumn, Fire Songs is a must for fans of rock, pop or folk.
