Album Review: Wild Fire, In Between (2022)

My signed copy of In Between, by Wild Fire (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Promo photo for Wild Fire's single "Don't Mess with Exes"

The talented sister duo of Kelli and Kayla Iutzwig perform together under the name Wild Fire, and they have released six albums, as well as many singles. Wild Fire’s second album is 2022’s excellent In Between, which features 10 original songs written by Kelli and Kayla. Wild Fire’s music is an engaging mix of pop with a country flavoring, and Kelli and Kayla’s fantastic voices carry their songs effortlessly.  

I discovered Wild Fire through an Instagram ad offering a free signed CD and a signed 8x10 photo, for just the cost of shipping. I always enjoy discovering new music, so I thought it was worth taking a chance, and I’m very glad I did. 

There’s something special about the vocal blend between siblings, and Kelli and Kayla are no exception to that rule. Their voices blend together incredibly smoothly in beautiful harmony. They are both gifted lead singers as well, and their pleasant vocal tones are very appealing.  

Kelli and Kayla are also very talented songwriters, and they have a knack for crafting songs with catchy hooks and intelligent lyrics. The songs on In Between cover a variety of subjects, and many of them detail the tribulations of moving into young adulthood, a time when many people feel “in between” one world and another. A song that explores this feeling is “Seventeen,” which features the clever lyrics “Apparently I’m supposed to be/living wild like a dancing queen/I guess the movies lied to me/about what matters when you’re seventeen.”  

One of my favorite songs on In Between is the sassy and catchy leadoff track “Don’t Mess with Exes.” It’s a terrific kiss-off song to all exes who just aren’t worth the trouble. As Kelli and Kayla sing, “When you got a heartbreak as big as Texas/you don’t mess with exes,” a perfect lyric to sing for two young women who hail from Houston.  

Other great songs include the ballads “Alone” and “Dear Life,” which mix intelligent lyrics with catchy and wistful melodies. For me, I’d say the standout tracks on In Between are “Don’t Mess with Exes,” “Looking Out for You,” “Seventeen,” “Alone,” and “Dear Life.” The whole album shows a nice range of singing and songwriting for Kayla and Kelli, as they can capture many different moods and emotions with their songs.  

If you like well-crafted pop songs with a country flavor, do yourself a favor and check out Wild Fire.