Album: The Pierces, You & I (Polydor)

Whether it's the involvement of Coldplay's Guy Berryman in the production, or simply their shift to a major label, on You & I The Pierces have lost much of what made 2007's Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge so beguiling.

At times, it's hard to believe it's the same sisters: gone are the eccentric alt- folk arrangements, and along with them the sly wit and quirky character that sparked their songs, replaced by bland, uninvolving testaments to faith ("Glorious") and moderation ("Drag You Down"), set to dismayingly unchallenging, sanitised country-pop backings. Their harmonies are as bright as ever, but even when exercising the full power of their collective charm on tracks like "You'll Be Mine" and "Love You More", there's an enervating lack of compulsion about the album that saps the spirit.

DOWNLOAD THIS You'll Be Mine; Love You More