The Pierces – ‘Sticks and Stones’ (Rhythm Kings) Released 26/02/07

For those in the know, folk music has always been good. And it has always been bad. It really depends who you are listening to but if you get it right then some of the warmest lyrics, most sensual guitar playing and emotional content on the musical map can be found in this often ridiculed market.

Consisting of two sisters (The Pierces no less), this Alabama offering is slick. Slick with a capital “S”. The arrangements are sublime and the cautionary tale of witchcraft; of spells and vampires is so well captured its almost like being in a fairy tale by the Brothers Grim. Turn a corner and a goddamn witch will turn you into something…..bad. It has a freshness and newness about it that should be welcomed with open ears. Its “witch-folk” and like the Creedence Clearwater Revival, they will put a spell on you. The b-side, 'Turn on Billie' is equally alluring. It’s almost visual in its power to tell you a story. One feels that these sisters really are masters of the black arts, spending their free time harnessed to a cauldron on a dark moor casting spells on an unsuspecting public. It’s a cross between Bewitched and the Jazz of a Paris burlesque club drenched in absinthe.

Expect to see The Pierces everywhere soon.