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Talking to You, Talking to Me
Contemplating the title of the second full-length album by the Watson Twins can be a hall-of-mirrors experience. Who's talking to whom? Which one is doing the talking? Are they talking to each other? You talkin' to me?
Chandra and Leigh Watson, identical twins originally from Louisville, Ky., have encouraged this sort of disorientation before. At least since 2006, when they self-released their first EP and received joint billing on the first solo album by Jenny Lewis, their charms have been a tandem proposition. The same held true for their 2008 debut album, Fire Songs, a lovelorn, quiet set beholden to vintage Southern California pop.
Talking to You, Talking to Me grants each Watson Twin more of a showcase, without abandoning their trademark vocal harmonies. Produced by Russell Pollard and J. Soda, members of the Los Angeles band Everest, it also puts a tougher spin on heartbreak, with a bit more grit and a lot more groove. The opener, Modern Man, which holds the album's title phrase, even borders on funky (in a contemplative way).
That's one of six songs by Chandra, matched by six of Leigh's. And while it isn't kind to make comparisons, the results are noticeably uneven. Leigh has the tunes with the slinkiest groove ( Harpeth River) and the strongest retro glow ( Midnight) -- but she's also responsible for duds like Savin' You and Tell Me Why, all of which raises the surprising question of whether, carrying a melody alone, she has trouble nailing down a pitch. (Another question: "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me why" was the best she could come up with for a chorus?)
As for Chandra: She's a compellingly soulful lead vocalist, and her songwriting yields a few keepers. Devil in You, a model of simmering reproach, leads into Snow Canyons, which suggests classic Willie Nelson. This success rate may explain a conciliatory gesture at the end of Give Me a Chance, when she shifts into the first-person plural. "So just give us a chance," she sings as Leigh's voice wafts above her own.
