The Fat Angel Sings

‘Keep It Together’, is the third album in just over three years by Indianapolis-based sisters Lily & Madeleine, is released via esteemed New West Records.

This spellbinding ten-song statement is the dynamic product of two distinct musical personalities, bound by kinship, melding seamlessly into one ephemeral and dreamy collection.  The sisters have come a long way since they began making YouTube videos in 2012, releasing two critically acclaimed albums on Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records and selling out myriad shows both in the US and overseas.

Having already delivered two fine collections of pop-tinged folk in quick succession, the Jurkiewicz sisters’ third arrives in similar haste. Built on two wonderfully direct and effortlessly emotive voices, Lily & Madeleine were a striking force when they emerged in 2013. ‘Keep It Together’ is curiously unmoving. There’s no doubting that their sound has evolved, with a more electronic tinge applied as part of consistently heftier production. However, nothing seems to lodge in the memory and everything feels a bit too mid-paced to warrant return visits.

The majority of ‘Keep It Together’ is a pleasant enough listen but the choruses often feel under-cooked and the scale of the production seems to have suppressed some of the majesty in the duo’s performances. almost lumbering, percussion sets the tone for too many of these songs and despite multiple listens it’s hard to find much to enthuse about. Their voices remain a delight .

It simultaneously confirms that the duo’s sound can yet develop in a fascinating direction and hints at what the album could have been. When it’s good, it’s very, very good, but for most of the time it’s really quite bland.