Music: Balloon

It's both a blessing and a curse to collaborate with a well-known musical artist. On the one hand, your own profile goes up considerably, and the collaboration often opens up a lot of doors that might not have been available. On the other hand, you might get caught, orbiting around the famous artist like a moon around a planet. In a field where people value their independent identity, it can be a fate worse than oblivion.

"Wendy and Lisa" (Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman) have avoided the latter fate, as their latest release, "White Flags of Winter Chimneys" confirms. They first came to prominence for their work in the '80s with Prince, but it's readily apparent that Wendy and Lisa have considerable musical talents of their own. Here's the first track off the album, a fairly down-tempo number called "Balloon":



This is probably the most laid-back song on the album, but it's a good example of the complexity and musical texture the two bring to what would otherwise be fairly straightforward melodic rock. Combine that with mature, practiced lyrics, and you have a darn good release.