Lily and Madeleine - Keep It Together

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 25 / 3 / 2016

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Review

For their third album, siblings Lily & Madeleine Jurkiewicz have jumped ship from Asthmatic Kitty Records to the New West label but have taken producer Paul Mahern with them and, to these ears at least, not abandoned the sound the duo created over their first two albums but expanded on it a little by adding a few contemporary twists. The duo have certainly not lost any of their abilities to write pretty melodies with some depth and their harmonies are still beautiful, voices gelling in that way that only blood relations are capable of. Considering that it’s only been a few short years since producer Mahern discovered them via their YouTube videos of Adele (and others) songs, ‘Keep It Together’ is proof of just how far Lily & Madeleine have progressed since those days. The Indiana sisters' previous albums were fine examples of folk with a little skewed pop mixed in there. While not instantly memorable in places, their songs displayed a budding gift for melodies that went deeper than expected from such young souls. Both albums were sets that the listener felt compelled to return to time and again while not exactly knowing why. Both were growers that took time to reveal all their beauty, but it was the siblings' voices that really drew you in. There was a kind of mystery in the sounds they made that forced you to return to the albums. ‘Keep It Together’ consists of ten songs, eight written by the duo with Kenny Childers, ‘Nothing’ which the sisters wrote together, and 'Hourglass', one that they co-wrote with Lucie Silvas. The production this time is maybe a little beefier. There’s a more electronic, experimental feel about the whole affair which, given that the duo have also, it would appear, developed somewhat as songwriters (‘Westfield’ is a prime example of all these factors combined) sets this collection apart from their other albums. While it also takes time for ‘Keep It Together’ to fully be appreciated and the slight shift in sound is both a smart move and an indication that the duo are in this for the long run by being unafraid to experiment with what was a winning sound, those combined voices are still the main attraction on the first few plays. Tracks like ‘Chicago’ create atmospheric soundscapes that were unimaginable coming from the sisters on their first album. The space created by the instruments and production shows just what Lily & Madeleine are capable of doing now, just three years after their debut. It could well be the first song where the background takes the attention away from those heavenly voices, despite the opening verse being one of the most affecting performances we’ve yet to hear from Lily & Madeleine. Sparse but at the same time filling in the spaces beneath and between the vocals, it’s what’s not played that counts on this performance. There are moments when you could be forgiven for thinking that you were listening to a Jenny Lewis album, especially parts of her last outing, ‘The Voyager’, but for the most part ‘Keep It Together’ is pure Lily & Madeleine and the first indication that they are moving away from the sound of their earlier work and finding a sound all of their own which shows them in their real skin. It’s the duo’s finest work to date and bodes well for future releases.

Track Listing:-

1 Not Gonna
2 For The Weak
3 Westfield
4 Chicago
5 Hourglass
6 Hotel Pool
7 Smoke Tricks
8 Midwest Kid
9 Small Talk
10 Nothing

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/lilyandmadele
http://www.lilandmad.com/
https://twitter.com/LilandMad
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPyFi
https://plus.google.com/10634564073784
https://www.instagram.com/lilandmad/

Label Links:-

http://newwestrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/newwestrecord
https://plus.google.com/+NewWestRecord
https://twitter.com/newwestrecords
http://newwestrecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/NewWestRe