There are certain voices, sounds and instrumental combinations that just sound fantastic to me, and the combined vocals of Nerissa and Katryna Nields is one of those – so any new disc is cause for celebration tempered with a certain amount of concern just in case it doesn’t live up to expectations – fortunately ‘This Town is Wrong’ is every bit as good as I expected it to be.
As with their previous duo album, they take their influences from just about everywhere, and to call it a mix of folk, country, pop and rock may be clumsy, but it’s an accurate description as all these elements are easily identifiable and put together in such a way that it all feels completely natural.
There are two constants that really hold the disc together; firstly the melodies are really strong throughout, instantly engaging and memorable whilst being distinct and individual. Secondly, and most strikingly, the vocals are wonderful, they’re both distinctive singers each with their own sound, and when they sing together (which they do 90% of the time on this album) the results are stunning. It’s easy to pick out their individual vocal lines, but the sound of the voices together is fantastic, the harmonies are consistently strong and their different vocal styles dip and weave around each other to create a truly distinct sound.
The songs range from dreamy acoustic pieces, to up-tempo jangly guitar numbers, right through to traditional sounding pieces. There are standout tracks that cover the full range of styles, but it’s the more upbeat tracks that provide the highlights and ‘This Town is Wrong’, ‘Glow-in-the-Dark Plastic Angel’ and ‘The Day I Let Glory Steer’ are all memorable jangly folk-pop songs. The lyrics and subject matter for all 12 songs were inspired by a book Nerissa has written that’s coming out later in 2004, and while the tracks work well as self contained pieces there are subtle links between some songs and continuity throughout the album – it’s a unusual approach, but one that works well.
Like the previous duo disc and earlier Nields albums, this is a little eccentric in places and possibly not to everyone’s taste, but there’s an enjoyment and enthusiasm in their singing that is compelling, infectious and great fun to listen to. This is perfect for when you want something to listen to that offers instant rewards without any effort – unashamedly enjoyable!

£13.49