Sisters J, Elisabeth and Lily Jackson, are based out of Nashville, but their talents extend far past any labels. They’ve honed their vocal talents since early childhood and are veteran performers despite their youth and the lessons they’ve accumulated along the way imbue them with flexibility shared by few other similar duos. They are adept with original material and are prolific composers, but they are also skilled interpreters of folk, pop, Broadway-styled music, and classical compositions. They’ve likewise shown a talent for praise and worship music that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Their new single “Breathe In” finds them working in the modern pop genre with success.
URL: https://www.sistersj.com/
“Breathe In” has a brisk pace from the outset. It builds around busy percussion and energetic guitar riffing before the sisters even begin singing. The arrangement is clever – the music occasionally comes to a near-complete halt, and you hear a brief breath created by their legendary music producer Ted “Theo” Perlman. Elisabeth and Lily are singing with each other from the first line on and the seamless union of their voice elevates the track. Attentive listeners will notice how the production applies a light veneer of post-production effects to their voices, but it never dilutes the performance.
The lyrics are straightforward and conversational. They invite listeners to set aside their cares, no matter how immense their troubles may seem, and give themselves over to the comfort of the moment. It’s a message that isn’t difficult to relate to and it’s aimed at a wide audience rather than niche listeners. Sisters J’s smart economy as writers. There isn’t any extraneous verbiage weighing the performance down.
The chorus is one of the song’s high points. Sisters J follow the refrain with potent lead guitar work that wouldn’t be out of place in a rock song. Its presence gives “Breathe In” a surprising amount of bite and urgency without ever sounding out of place. In the hands of lesser talents, the guitar presence might have seemed jarring placed in juxtaposition with their ethereal harmonies. Instead, it adds a dynamic dimension to “Breathe In” that enhances the track’s appeal.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/breathe-in-single/1688666645
Sisters J are beneficiaries of superb production. “Breathe In” sounds polished without ever striking listeners as false or calculated. The best songs, for many, are those that come across as inspired efforts rather than labored artistry. In this regard, Sisters J enjoy spectacular success. The song has an ideal length of just three and a half minutes. Their focus is a hallmark of their work thus far and one of the single’s key ingredients.
They are rising in the pop music world on their own terms. Lily and Elisabeth Jackson haven’t compromised their beliefs or values in the process of building their careers and it’s difficult to imagine they ever will. “Breathe In” bears a message you won’t hear, at least not in this exact language, from other current artists and this uniqueness will remain a calling card for Sisters J as they move forward. It’s their best release yet and you’ll finish listening to the single certain they’ve just scratched the surface of their tremendous potential.
Heather Savage