You And I

Burnt out by a decade of obscurity, New York based, Alabama-raised sisters Catherine and Allison Pierce – aka The Pierces – were set to pack it in when Coldplay’s Nick Berryman offered to produce their next record. Evidently his intention was to create a sort of two-woman Fleetwood Mac – You And I shimmers with ‘70s production and towering soft-rock harmonies. Unfortunately, it also has a fatally cheesy streak. The Pierces may be under the impression they are channelling The Carpenters but, on the opener, ‘You’ll Be Mine’ at least, they bear far too close a resemblance to The Corrs for my taste. Things do get better: ‘Love You More’ features a fantastic bass riff whilst, horrendous lyrics aside, ‘We Are Stars’ has a lovely nu-folk glimmer. Buried beneath all the production, You And I also spins a fascinating tale of romance gone sour – there are references to unabashed love early on, then brooding meditations on the destructive effects of alcohol. “I put your records on/ To see if you would sing my name,” Catherine sings at the end. Who could see be referring too? We can’t say for sure, but it is notable that she used to date Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., who last year finally quit the booze for good and checked himself into rehab. What a shame The Pierces didn’t make more of what could have been dynamite source material.