Watkins Family Hour is the performing title of American brother and sister duo Sara and Sean Watkins. This is their second such work, following on from their 2015 debut. The siblings have built up an impressive musical CV in relatively short careers.
Both were leading lights in the acclaimed Nickel Creek, and individually Sean plays with Fiction Family. Sara Watkins, I have encountered live before when she played Belfast’s Real Music Club some years back and also with I’m With Her at a stunning Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival show.
‘Brother Sister’ is a very fine piece of work, displaying the dazzling playing of fiddles, guitar, and several other stringed instruments. The singing is excellent with the family harmonies of particular note. Sara was originally noted for her fiddle playing but in more recent years has been seeking to develop her songwriting. The ten tracks on the album are split between originals and covers with seven of the tracks co-written by the siblings.
The work is very well produced with a nice instrumental balance while the fiddle playing is as you might expect of the highest standard. Original compositions ‘Fake Badge, Real Gun’ and ‘Just Another Reason’ highlight the duo’s developing songwriting talent. Having noted the fine quality of their writing, the stand out track for me is the cover of Warren Zevon’s ‘Accidentally Like A Martyr’; just as good a song as you would ever want to hear and great to hear more covers of the sadly departed Mr. Zevon’s work.
I liked this album a lot. It’s the sort of thing you would be happy to give repeated plays to and would probably find more and more to admire therein.