Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees 6 months ago
  • A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash 7 months ago
  • Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019 7 months ago
  • 25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11 7 months ago
  • Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: DiS Does Big Ears 8 months ago
  • IDLES Smash It In Sheffield 8 months ago
  • More bands announced for DiS partnered Fuzz Club Eindhoven 8 months ago
  • The Shape Of Punk To Come?: DiS Meets Crows 9 months ago
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

The Secret Sisters

The Secret Sisters

Label: Decca Release Date: 21/02/2011

67171
rleedham by Robert Leedham March 9th, 2011

There is a fine line between reverence and authenticity and it is a distinction that The Secret Sisters don’t seem to have the fullest grasp of on their self-titled debut album. This record does its damndest to capture the gaiety and innocence of the Fifties, with little attempt to practice this mantra through a lens of the Alabama siblings’ own creation.

Instead, The Secret Sisters operates as an almost endless parade of covers by better known artists with whom Laura and Lydia Rogers presumably share some kindred preference for country music, Christian values and demure, floral-patterned attire. Eight out of the ten tracks that make up this LP have been authored by artists who enjoyed their creative peaks long before The Secret Sisters’ formation. Furthermore, those who don’t think ‘Something Stupid’ wasn’t nailed on its best known replication by Frank and Nancy Sinatra in 1967 probably had that particular dilemma catered to by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman.

Far too much of the promotional effort surrounding this album has been engineered towards highlighting The Secret Sisters’ 'love and respect for music and harmony' which saw the pair lay down their debut in the moist genuine manner possible. For all the considerable effort expended on this LP’s recording process, from the strict use of vintage gear to the signing of T Bone Burnett as an Executive Producer, it seems incredible that no-one saw sense enough to highlight the dangers of playing so dangerously straight-laced. That the two original Laura Rogers compositions ‘Tennessee Me’ and ‘Waste The Day’ easily stand amongst the album’s highlights only enhance this air of wasted opportunity.

Both lilting, mournful affairs with twee unrequited lyrics, “I don’t know how to love you like you want me to”, they retain the air of charm and good grace The Secret Sisters so desperately seek to capture without using the exact vocabulary of the canon they lust to sit amongst. That’s not to say that when this delightfully harmonious duo do turn their talents to the songs of others they don’t succeed in creating a set of accurate replications.

‘Why Baby Why’ retains George Jones’ original folksy swing, ‘My Heart Skips A Beat’ is just as winsome as when Buck Owens’ first sung it and Hank Williams’ ‘House Of Gold’ is even slowed in tempo to strike a more sombre note.

As accomplished as they may be however, none of these interpretations are daring enough to depart too far from the hallowed territory of what made them much loved in the first place.

Considering the booming Jack White-assisted treatment the pair gave to Johnny Cash’s ‘Big River’ for Third Man Records' Blue Series late last year, such a rigid dictum seems entirely unnecessary at the best, woefully lazy at the worst.

Undoubtedly there is a market for The Secret Sisters in their safest incarnation and it is highly likely that this angelic-voiced pairing could forge an entire career in the footsteps of their favourite country and western icons. Whether doing so would be authenticity of the highest audience order or unrequited reverence will likely be decided by how many people buy into this debut album.

  • 5
    Robert Leedham's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees


  • A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash


  • Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019


  • 25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11


  • Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: DiS Does Big Ears


  • IDLES Smash It In Sheffield



Left-arrow

Queens of The Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age (reissue)

Mobback
67092
67172

Rainbow Arabia

Boys and Diamonds

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136

    Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
  • Festival Review


    25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11

  • 106134

    Festival Review


    Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: Di...

  • 106133
  • Live Review


    IDLES Smash It In Sheffield

  • 106132

    Festival Preview


    More bands announced for DiS partnered Fuzz Clu...

  • 106131
  • Interview


    The Shape Of Punk To Come?: DiS Meets Crows

  • 106123
MORE


    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • feature


    Panic Prevention: At the drink with Jamie T

  • 14183

    feature


    The Knife: Swedish purveyors of alien synergy

  • 27337
  • Column


    DiS Does Singles 22.04.13: Daft Punk, Savages, ...

  • 89944

    DiScover


    ReDiScover: Low

  • 12734
  • In Depth


    Lou Reed: An Eu-lulu-ogy

  • 93330

    DiScussion


    Emo? Twee? In unnecessary defence of Neutral Mi...

  • 93713
  • Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2019 DROWNED IN SOUND