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, Rovi

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

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