Family group Wilkins has created a pleasnt pop album on No Expiry Date. The trio mixes a bit of everything from smooth pop (“Easy”) to classical (“.79”) to torch songs (“Just a Memory”). Throughout the playing is tasteful and the performances are tight, which can only come from years of playing together (indeed, the inside of the disc’s booklet features pictures of the husband/wife/son unit through the years). It’s just hard to tell if this kind of work will appeal to a wider audience. What’s here is good, with “Love Is Gone” featuring a folksy/country vibe with its mandolin and “P.E.I.” treading into Carole King and Carpenters territory. And those are the same things that might limit larger appeal overall. As great as King and the Carpenters were, sometimes some of these tracks come off as a little sappy. And with so many of the 13 tracks here slower numbers, sometimes the whole thing begins to sound the same. Still, you have to give Wilkins credit for doing what they want to do and doing it well. (self-released)
