Sister

by Puss N Boots

Overview

The fact that there is a six-year gap between No Fools, No Fun -- the 2014 debut from Sasha Dobson, Catherine Popper, and Norah Jones -- and its 2020 sequel, Sister, indicates that Puss N Boots is not a full-time proposition for any member of the trio. Casualness turns out to be the group's strength, a notion Sister puts in sharp perspective. Like No Fools, No Fun, Sister ambles along to a ramshackle beat -- a sound designed to fill out an after-hours club or perhaps a living room. The tempo never rushes, the volume never blares, giving the album a sense of intimacy, as if the listener is eavesdropping upon a shared secret. Sometimes Sister's songs do play a bit like a hushed whisper, but Puss N Boots isn't some precious affair. The trio are as likely to crack a bawdy joke as they are to commiserate about a broken heart, and if they find a tune they like, they'll cover it. This time around, they cut versions of deep cuts by Tom Petty ("Angel Dream"), Paul Westerberg ("It's a Wonderful Lie"), and Dolly Parton ("The Grass Is Blue"), adding a shambling, attention-grabbing version of Concrete Blonde's "Joey" for good measure. That's a lot of covers, but not as many as there were on No Fools, No Fun, and the preponderance of originals -- including three written by the whole band -- helps emphasize their endearing, peculiar chemistry. It's not just that Puss N Boots is a roots band whose roots are so tangled, it's hard to separate the rock from the country or the cabaret, it's that they can make quiet music seem like a low-key party. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/14/2020
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602508483714
Rank:	181658

Tracks

1. Jamola
2. It's Not Easy
3. Nothing You Can Do
4. Lucky
5. You and Me
6. You Don't Know
7. The Great Romancer
8. It's a Wonderful Life
9. Sister
10. The Razor Song
11. Angel Dream
12. Same Old Bullshit
13. Joey
14. The Grass Is Blue

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Puss N Boots   Primary Artist
Norah Jones   Primary Artist,Drums,Piano,Vocals,Pump Organ,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Sasha Dobson   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Bass (Electric)
Catherine Popper   Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Bass (Upright),Bass (Electric),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Don Was   Composer
Norah Jones   Composer,Group Member
Steve Fallone   Assistant,Mastering Assistant
Tom Schick   Mixing,Engineer
Helen Rogers   Composer
Tom Shick   Mixing,Engineer
Sydney Nichols   Design,Art Direction
Puss N Boots   Producer
Samuel Wahl   Assistant Engineer
Sydney Nicholas   Design,Art Direction
Andy Taub   Engineer
Paul Westerberg   Composer
Catherine Popper   Composer,Group Member
Dolly Parton   Composer
Greg Calbi   Mastering
Johnette Napolitano   Composer
Mark Greenberg   Assistant
Danny Clinch   Photography
Tom Petty   Composer
Sasha Dobson   Composer,Group Member