Like an earthier version of
Sixpence None the Richer
,
the Weepies
brew up a sound that's part Lilith Fair throwback, part coffeehouse
folk
, and part NPR-approved
pop
.
Be My Thrill
, the duo's third album, continues the same thread
have been spinning since their 2003 debut, with acoustic guitars and light boy/girl harmonies taking most of the spotlight.
Deb Talan
and
Steve Tannen
sing these songs like they're performing for their two-year-old son; their voices are soft and casual, their melodies whimsical, the arrangements tight and textured but rarely, if ever, overpowering. The song titles alone give away the album's cheery vibe --
"I Was Made for Sunny Days,"
"Be My Thrill,"
"Be My Honeypie"
-- and even the titles that sound like sad ballads (
"Hard to Please,"
"
They're in Love, Where Am I?"
) are played with all the sunny cheer of a CW network TV soundtrack. There are drums here, but they share their time-keeping duties with tambourines, hand claps, and other light percussion; there are electric guitars, too, but they never take the spotlight. Instead, the focus is on homespun material, the sort of
folk/pop
fare that could be played on acoustic instruments around a campfire, and those who liked
' past albums will find more to enjoy here. ~ Andrew Leahey