Fruit At the Bottom

Wendy & Lisa fell victim to the sophomore jinx on the follow-up to their promising self-titled debut. On this album, the duo decided to incorporate dance-club beats and synthesizers into their music. The results were mixed. Though the album sounds more lively and slick than the debut, Wendy & Lisa came up short in the songwriting department. None of the album's ten tracks are anywhere near as memorable as the debut's "Waterfalls." The beats also sometimes hamper whatever emotional depth Wendy & Lisa are attempting to convey, especially on "Someday I," which has a strangely upbeat sound for a song with rather downbeat lyrics. The title cut is similarly ill-conceived, with a dance club arrangement that is meant to be exuberant, but instead comes off as a bit shrill. Lyrically, there isn't as much depth, either; most of the tracks are simple love songs. There isn't anything truly unlistenable here-Wendy & Lisa remain gifted musicians-but there also isn't anything outstanding either. For simple musical pleasures, Fruit at the Bottom will suffice, but the debut album remains a far wiser purchase. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, Rovi