The Watson Twins - Talking to You, Talking To Me

The ascendant arc of The Watson Twins, Chandra and Leigh, really began in 2006 when the pair joined up with Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis for the remarkable - and remarkably successful - Rabbit Fur Coat. The Watsons toured behind Lewis and Rabbit, winning accolades for the layers of sweet vocal harmonies they added to Lewis' modern alt/country songs. Building upon that early success, the pair released a well received EP in 2006 and then began work with producers Russell Pollard and J. Soda on tracks that would become their debut album Fire Songs, released in the summer of 2008. An uncanny blend of classic retro pop and jangly So-Cal and Americana folk/rock, Fire Songs established The Watsons as compelling artists - and songwriters - in their own right.

Sophomore album Talking To You, Talking To Me, due February 9 on Vanguard, promises to expand on the themes and styles of their debut, adding a pronounced classic soul influence and bright, rhythmic energy to the more subdued adult pop leanings that were the core of Fire Songs. The Watsons also reevaluated the intricate harmonies that graced their earlier songs, going more for a singular voice on each track and then trading places as each other's backup. Says Leigh: "I feel we've honed how to work together and I think our singing style on this album strengthened the idea of the two of us being one voice. What people expect from us is very different from what this record is." Lead track "U-N-Me" reflects that shift in attitude where a driving backbeat, two chords of ragged guitar and pounding piano form the backdrop for a two-minute vibrant 60's retro-pop vocal sprint.

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The Watson Twins - "U-N-Me" (from the album Talking To You, Talking To Me)

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