Canadian twins Lucas and Madeleine Roger make their debut as Roger Roger on Fairweather, an album of harmony-drenched folk-roots that swings between introspective, story-telling balladry and guitar cranked rockier numbers. Lucas is responsible for, and sings on, the latter while Madeleine takes care of the former, although, having said that, Another Girl’s Shoes, shows she can do bouncy Americana pop too.
It’s Madeleine who gets the ball rolling with 13 Crows, about an old man thinking back on his life, guitars chiming and her sounding a little like a slightly more country young Joni Mitchell. The same 70s Lauren Canyon comparison comes to mind on the more uptempo Think Of Me, her other two contributions being the spare, folksy O Rainy Day with its drone intro, upright bass, paper and paintbrushes and album piano ballad closer Scott Free, a familiar story of a woman in a bad relationship.
Lucas is clearly the rock fan half of the partnership, Mad Trapper, the first of his songs, a deliberate bluesy groove with electric guitar riff and Hammond organ and, while he turns acoustic for the reflective, cello-accompanied title track about finding it hard to make emotional connections, he’s back in electric alt-country mode for the vintage Eagles-echoing Dead Horse Creek and the punchy guitar-slinging powerpop You Came Around.
It’s not an album to make them overnight stars (even if it did top Canada’s National Folk/Roots/Blues chart) and it would be good to hear them duetting more next time round on an album that doesn’t feel obliged to alternate compositions, but there’s enough going on to ensure it’s not a case of Roger Roger and out.
Out on 7 October 2016, Self Released