Talking to You, Talking to Me

The Watson Twins
VANGUARD

If you can forgive Chandra and Leigh Watson for skipping the Commonwealth and moving out to the Left Coast, Talking to You, Talking to Me will pleasantly surprise you. In the past, I’ve felt like their songs were musical marshmallows: tasty, but no real substance. The question was never if their voices sounded nice (they always did), but rather if there was anything to their songs other than prettiness. On this, their third full-length album, the girls come more into their own, experimenting with jazz and reggae vibes and allowing the vocals to take on a bit darker edge. “U N Me” has a pleading sincerity I’ve never heard out of them before. “Harpeth River” is more Jamaica than Mississippi tributary; the opening strains have a swing that could only have been borrowed from Bob Marley. “Snow Canyons” is a return to form but more polished than Southern Manners or Fire Songs. Native daughters they are no more, but worth another look nonetheless.