Watch: THE LIVING SISTERS 'Mountain Has Eyes' live performance

THE LIVING SISTERS
If the Living Sisters' whole isn't necessarily greater than the sum of its parts, that's only because each part of the local trio is already such a firmly established and distinctive vocalist in her own right. Becky Stark is the pure-hearted and pure-voiced leader of the Lavender Diamond. Eleni Mandell specializes in languid, glassy balladry on her nine solo albums, which encompass pop, country and jazz, but she also rocks out at times with projects like the Grabs. Inara George, the daughter of Little Feat's Lowell George, has recorded with Van Dyke Parks and is one half of retro-pop confectioners the Bird & the Bee. Put them all together, and you have the possibility for some wonderful vocal interplay. On the Living Sisters' upcoming full-length debut, Love to Live (Vanguard), they sing sweetly and seamlessly, whether they're trading individual lines or combining in sumptuous harmonies. They're too sugary on the opening song, "How Are You Doing," but almost everything else is enchanting, especially "Hold Back," "Ferris Wheel," "The Mountain Has Skies," "You Make Me Blue" and Bessie Smith's "Good Ole Wagon." The Living Sisters might be that rare supergroup that actually turns out to be super. - Falling James, LA Weekly


THE LIVING SISTERS