Even when they debuted in 1999 with the single "Don't Say You Love Me" from the soundtrack to
Pokémon: The First Movie, Norwegian pop duo M2M were less like their girly teen pop counterparts (
Brandy,
Mandy,
Britney) and more like the female
Hanson -- cute, young, harmonically inclined pop-rockers who write their own songs and play their own instruments. On their eagerly anticipated follow-up to
Shades of Purple, 18-year-old Marit Larsen and 17-year-old Marion Raven's voices still weave together in sweet, clear harmony, but this time around their compelling, genuine performances suggest yet another teen artist, guitar girl
Michelle Branch. The first single, "Everything," is an urgent rocker about an estranged love with a great hook and an infectious chorus. Rich harmonies bolster the lyrically simple, acoustic guitar-driven "Love Left for Me," while the breathy ballad "Wanna Be Where You Are" sounds like something from the
Faith Hill crossover catalogue. M2M's starry-eyed take on the theme of love lost and won, filtered through their sweet, youthful voices, retains the naïveté of women who have not yet come of age. But that's M2M's strength -- they sing about where they are at the moment, and the sincere, winsome
The Big Room speaks to the audience that has moved beyond
Pokémon but is not quite ready for
Alanis Morissette.
