Mark Grainger reviews the latest release from folk pop duo Lily & Madeleine
New West Records
Released: 26.02.16
By turns trapped in the half-awake haze of the early morning and the lonesome reflection that comes at the end of the night, Lily & Madeleine‘s Keep It Together could really do with exploring the times in between more thoroughly.
It’s often pleasant enough, and it even threatens to break out into full-on likeable in places, but just too much floats by on the breeze to make it essential listening. The brief burst of energy that features on the second track, For The Weak, dissipates too early in an album crying out for more drive and less hungover introspection. The harmonies are frequently beautiful, and the songwriting is far from bad, it just feels like a missed opportunity somehow.