Sisters Morales
Talking to the River (Luna)If Heart had grown up in the Southwest, they’d have sounded like Sisters Morales. The duo currently calls Houston home but spent their childhood in Tucson, Ariz., and Talking to the River, their fourth release, teems with country, Latin, and traditional folk influences. Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, the disc sounds clean and professional, and with longtime guitarist David Spencer joined by locals Cornbread and Joel Guzman, it’s musically solid. Unfortunately, the songs, mostly composed by Sisters Lisa and Roberta, are just a step above common love poems that are almost painful to endure. Exceptions include a hip-shake reading of the traditional “La Mucura” and the steamy alt.country of “World Goes Round,” which allows the band room to stretch. While their voices meld well and it’s plain they put heart into what they’re singing, Sisters Morales’ insipid songwriting makes Talking to the River an undistinguished listen.
This article appears in June 13 • 2008.