Jenny Carson and Evan Joyce harmonize as if wrapped in one another, but that pairing takes the full length of the duo’s debut to fully embrace. The eponymous debut’s front half plays as a dance between the two locals, feeling out how the one moves against the other. Carson’s polished trill finds its openings within Joyce’s easy twang on “Graveyard Hours” and “Who Carried the Tune,” and he shadows her soft swells on “California” and the trembling waltz of “Young Lovers.” Side B falls into a more comfortable, hushed conversation as the tentativeness fades, their voices rolling together in “Corsicana Girl” and finally intertwining with their own distinct lines in the slowly unfolding “Josephine.” Warm Sugar achieves a natural melding that should only continue to grow sweeter.

**.5


This article appears in March 22 • 2019.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.