This will make me sound stodgy, but I do grow weary of the pop divas whose antics are regularly chronicled by Perez Hilton. I’m as much a fan of new artists as anyone but the manufactured, punched-out-of-a-mold pop music that regularly charts, sounds too pre-packaged for my ears. Combine that with the crotch-baring/public fight with boyfriend/girlfriend publicity surrounding those artists, and I am even less inclined to listen.
Enter Carmen & Camille, twins from Vancouver who are trying to take the music world by storm the old-fashioned way – writing music and honing their vocals and music. Not that the Thomas twins pretend to be making music in a Joan Baez “change the world” kind of way, but they do profess to love the art and how it expresses their emotions.
The proof is in the listening.
The now-22 year old women spent years writing what became their 13-track debut CD Two. Filled with stories about young love and angst, the music is a mix of fairly straightforward pop with some hints of rock.
Camille, the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter and Carmen, vocalist and flute player, have sweet voices that harmonize well.
“Lose My Voice,” my favorite song on the album, is an upbeat, catchy tune that allows the twins’ lovely vocals to highlight the song which is augmented by some interesting keyboard and percussion work.
That song and a few others – most notably “Change Your Mind,” and “Breaking Down” have plenty of Sheryl Crow and Gwen Stefani-type influences. Not surprising when you consider those artists are among the twins’ major models.
My only quibble with the music is that some of the slower tunes, such as “To Believe,” are so heavily produced that keyboards overwhelm the gentle vocals.
Carmen & Camille’s music has made a splash on TV soundtracks including for MTV’s The Hills. They’re also currently in MTV’s Battle of the Bands.
My hope is that as the duo (and the full rock band that ably backs them) move up in popularity, they fight to maintain their genuine, songwriting and sound ala Crow and Stefani. That genuine sound is what will keep them from being just another indy band that had a few musical high points.
Article comments
1 - Sherry
Let's hope these two keep fighting to keep their unique sound and feel. A wonderful debut and I think..How Deep is the Water is haunting.