In L.A.’s pop music scene, the influence of
Fleetwood Mac is rarely more than a vocal harmony away. It’s uncommonly (but not offensively) close on
Belle Brigade’s debut, a collection of sunny pop songs that take their cues from the “California sound” of yesteryear. Fronted by the brother/sister combo
Ethan and Barbara Gruska, the group blows through 11 tunes in an economical 39 minutes, evoking everyone from
CSNY to
Linda Ronstadt along the way. The siblings harmonize the way family members often do, flanking each other’s melodies during the verses and double-tracking their voices into thick chords during the choruses. With help from a rotating roster of backup musicians -- mostly Barbara’s cohorts from her days as a touring drummer for
Inara George and
Jenny Lewis -- the siblings cast a wide net, riding a country-rock groove on “My Goodness” and resurrecting the breezy charm of
Rumours-era
Lindsey Buckingham on “Where Not to Look for Freedom” before drifting into the Los Angeles smog with the album’s hazy closer, “Fasten You to Me.” Like
Jenny and Johnny, another SoCal harmony duo, they rarely sing without the other person’s help, and this pastoral pop record sparkles whenever the two lock together in close harmony. ~ Andrew Leahey