Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas are 20-year-old twin sisters from Hampshire, who are among the UK’s most successful new country musicians, and already attracting an American following. They started recording in Nashville three years ago, spend much of their time in the US’s country-music capital, and have all the makings of major pop-country crossovers. This confident set was a demonstration of both their easy-going vocal and songwriting skills, and possible problems they have to face.
The sisters came on dressed in black, showing off their impressive harmony-singing with a brief, foot-stomping treatment of the Loretta Lynn song Take My Man. Backed by an efficient, if restrained guitar and keyboard band, later joined by a fiddler, they then concentrated on their own compositions with a slick set that ranged from acoustic guitar-backed ballads to more stomping country-rock.
Most of their material was cheerful and undemanding, though the breezy nostalgia of Way Back When and Footnotes (Happy Ending) were matched by the more thoughtful and intriguing Take That Train, a story of an unexpected encounter, pregnancy and suicide that showed the potential in their songwriting. But they already seem to have transatlantic identity problems, as they showed with gutsy country-rocker Town Called Ugley – inspired by a trip to Essex, but sung in full southern twang.
The best song of the night was reserved for the encore, when the sisters returned alone for a fine harmony treatment of the Dougie MacLean song Caledonia. It had been a pleasant and professional set that showed their potential – but there’s an experimental side to Nashville, and I hope that Ward Thomas now start to take more risks.
• At Fibbers, York (0844 477 1000), on 29 March. Then touring.
