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The Rogers Sisters, "The Invisible Deck"
Even though this second album from the trio of Jennifer and Laura Rogers and bassist Miyuki Furtado doesn’t cover a lot of new territory, they still manage to get a lot of mileage out of their material with an album of energetic, anthemic rock songs.
The opener, “Why Won’t You,” is a little misleading. Its structure is fairly standard, with plenty of build and little payoff. Following is “Never Learn to Cry,” which is more of the same until the band runs it out with an unexpectedly fiery finish. From here their enthusiasm becomes contagious, careening into “The Light” as the band tightens their songwriting into a blistering rocker about false saviors. Propelled by a sultry bassline, they slow the pace convincingly with “Your Littlest World,” a song that implores its subject to engage with the world rather than remain anti-socially passive. All three band members sing, and their harmonies on “Money Matters” work particularly well on this song that decries materialism and living beyond one’s means, even going so far as to suggest that “Living like adults is the new rebellion.”
“The Clock” is a countdown to an unspecified disaster, one that could be read as political, environmental, or both, considering the convictions they share elsewhere on the album. Even though the lyrical conceit wears out fairly quickly on this one, Jennifer Rogers proves herself to be an exceptional guitarist through her use of interesting texture, aided by the changes in the drum recording that burst through when a lull appears imminent. The only other misstep besides the opener is the closing “Sooner or Later,” which is fine in itself but goes on much longer than needed to be effective.
Despite the socio-political leanings that leak through in their lyrics, the band never comes across as self-righteous or confrontational. That they choose to sing about things that matter to them is refreshing, especially when paired with music this engaging.
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