A little under five years ago, Ellie and Louise McNamara, better known as Heathers, were belting out an unorthodox cover of The Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life in a kitchen in Bray. If you had told anyone present that day, including myself, that in 2012 we would be listening to their second studio album, few would be surprised. It was evident from day one that the Wicklow-born twins had talent for song-writing which, coupled with their unique harmonies, was a sure fire recipe for success. However, what is surprising is the way in which their sound has developed in the last half decade. ‘Kingdom’, released today, is the culmination of four years of hard work since recording debut album ‘Here, Not There’, during which they’ve matured both as song-writers and as vocalists.
The excitement for ‘Kingdom’ has been building since Heathers debuted some new material at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, and that only intensified when they gave us a studio preview in the form of powerfully emotive tune Forget Me Knots. Couple this song with an announcement of the album’s release date and Heathers were on the lips of everyone in the Irish music scene. Forgot Me Knots was, at the time, by far the best we’d heard the girls sound in their short careers to date but amazingly, it’s not the best track on the album. In fact, it’s not even close. ‘Kingdom’ has so much more to offer. Circular Road, for example, is the perfect opening track. It’s an upbeat pop song which draws instant comparisons with recent offerings from fellow Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan.
Underground Beneath starts off in an identical fashion to popular ‘Here, Not There’ track Margie and, for a second, one would begin to think that it may just be more of the same solo guitar style we’ve come to know and love. When the piano kicks in, however, the song takes a whole different path. This is essentially a pre-warning for the rest of the album as Heathers switch between styles from song to song. Some of the songs which we have been hearing the girls play for the last eighteen months or so are given a complete revamp; none more so than Waiter. The addition of some sumptuous synths transforms the song into something completely unexpected. It’s a bit of a shock to the system at first, but to say it grows on you after a few listens is a massive understatement. The stand-out track on the album however, is the stunning piano led ballad We Burn Bridges. Reminiscent of some of Adele‘s finer moments; if this song doesn’t propel Heathers to stardom, I’m not sure what will.
‘Kingdom’ is a brilliantly brave album from Heathers. It’s refreshing to see a band not stick to the same formula which made them a success in the first place. Such a radical transformation can be seen as a gamble but, in this case, it couldn’t have been more worth it. They manage to maintain the core harmonies that made them so unique while seamlessly blending in, not only the backing of a full band, but also their new found love for electronic sounds. True to what they proclaimed in that kitchen in 2007, Heathers have spiced things up. Long may it last.
Heathers start their tour of Ireland in The Academy, Dublin on September 29th. Tickets are available from usual outlets.