22 Brides add a raw, electric edge to
Carrie and
Libby Johnson's blissful sibling harmonies on their sophomore release. Less conventional than their self-titled debut, this record finds the band spreading its wings and experimenting with their sound and vocal arrangements. While consciously or unconsciously trying to escape the trappings from their first album, which elicited comparisons to the
Indigo Girls, they managed to create moments on
Beaker that are eerily reminiscent of
the Pretenders. The vocals on "Lullabye," "Truck Stop," and "Insomnia," in particular, replicate the intonations and delivery of
Chrissie Hynde. This is not detrimental to the album, but rather further emboldens the diversity of the tracks. "Crash" exemplifies the band's ability to float harmonic melodies over an alternative rock groove, which befittingly plays into their strengths as songwriters and musicians. ~ Erik Crawford