Kin

Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell started out as a polished pop-folk duo and have released five EPs based on that format. *Kin*, their full-length debut, retains their polish and pop sensibility while catapulting them beyond the folk realm. Trading their mandolin and fiddle for electric guitars, the sisters turn out stinging blues riffs and swaggering country rock propelled by handclaps, crisp drumming, and dynamite harmonies. The catchy standouts “Jailbreak,” “Don’t,” and “Jesse” boast big hooks and attitude, while “Stubborn Love” and “Crown of Fire” show their folk roots and instrumental chops. But as solid as their songwriting is, their vocals steal the show.

The Lovell sisters ditch the country and try to show they can rock out. But the results can be unremarkable, writes <strong>Robin Denselow</strong>

Americana duo Larkin Poe merge Seventies classic pop with southern outlaw blues, says Neil McCormick