Lake Bottom LP

Album Review

The Chapin Sisters present rather sober singer/songwriter folk on their debut album, prettily sung in arrangements that emphasize the three sisters' close vocal harmonies. It's not folk music of the traditional kind, but it doesn't feel quite right calling it folk-rock either, as the arrangements have very little rock influence, dominated by Abigail Chapin and Lily Chapin's acoustic guitars, with some bass and electric violin being heard as well. Much of the material focuses on quirky relationship songs, with twists on romantic clichés that are so deadpan that they could easily be mistaken for straightforward love tunes if you didn't listen closely. Any satirical elements are certainly far less overt than they are in the songs of, say, Loudon Wainwright III, and the songs are perhaps too smoothly and seriously sung for any intended irony to be fully appreciated. Words aside, it's attractively performed and crafted with more unusual bittersweet melodies than is common for the genre, though it's not a stunner in these departments. "I Hate the Moon" is a standout for its eeriness, accentuated by guest David Coulter's singing saw.