Saturn Return

The aptly named Saturn Return sees the Secret Sisters (Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle) working once again with co-producer Brandi Carlile and the Hanseroth twins (Phil and Tim), all of whom also perform on the LP. Taking its name from an astrological event that takes place approximately every 29-and-a-half years, Saturn Return hews closely to the evocative, Southern gothic swoon of its predecessor, 2017s splendid You Dont Own Me Anymore, but it does so with the dividend of confidence that the latter effort had to earn. Saturn is also the Roman god of renewal, and the Alabama siblings, who lost both their grandmothers and became first-time mothers between records, are reflecting on the cruelty and sweetness of life with pens dipped in ink that has been tempered by the bittersweet period in which they were brandished. The ten-track set commences with the rousing and big-hearted Silver, a Celtic-tinged country-folk rocker that declares Look upon your mother and the silver in her hair/consider it a crown the holiest may wear. Its sonic muscle echoes the bluesy swagger of You Dont Own Me Anymore opener Tennessee River Runs Low. Late Bloomer and Nowhere Baby emit a sunset country-soul patina, evoking Landslide-era Fleetwood Mac, while the airy indie pop gem Hand Over My Heart glides along via tasteful electronic flourishes and ardent handclaps. Elsewhere, the sparely lit Fair charms with its golden folk-era sincerity, while the brooding Water Witch sounds like a Flannery OConnor-inspired rendering of the Animals House of the Rising Sun. Closing out the proceedings is the consolatory Healer in the Sky, a soft country hymn that, like so much of the rich and understated Saturn Return, is spilling over with heart and hard-won wisdom. ~ James Christopher Monger