The Chapin Sisters
Two
Lake Bottom Records
by David Chiu
The Chapin Sisters latest album, Two, is aptly titled for these reasons: it’s the sisters’ second full-length album and their first as a duo (Third sister Jessica Craven is currently on a leave of absence due to the birth of her son). Although it’s now just Abigail and Lily Chapin, the new configuration doesn’t affect the musical mix as the sisters still carry on the melancholy, yearning folk music from their Lake Bottom LP debut. A couple of charming and affecting numbers grace the new record: the soulful balladry of “Palm Tree”; the Beatlesque “Digging a Hole,” and the hymn-like “Sweet Light.” The music is characterized by the sisters’ lovely harmony singing–the lyrics carry an undercurrent of tension and angst that contradicts folk music’s sometimes lightweight nature. Two doesn’t suffer from being the dreaded second album but rather basks in its lovely melodies, singing and vulnerability.
NewBeats 