Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle, two confessed singers / songwriters of the country music scene, who have largely formed their careers as soloists, impressively demonstrate how singles can become a pair that harmonizes in the best sense, namely, with complete equality. In the run-up to this album, both two years ago pulled through the country on shows and then on tours. An album was not planned at first, and what has now been released on the market is not a live recording, but a Nashville-based studio product, produced by Buddy Miller within a few days. Buddy Miller, one of the producers of Countrysongs, makes sure that the sound on the album just gets so bold, that real country feeling is guaranteed. An extra deep and rich bass and contoured drums line as well as multi-layered guitar sound stands for that feeling. Better than Chris Wood and Fred Eltringham on the bass and the headline, and Buddy Miller and Richard Bennett with their guitars, you cannot build the foundation for the two singers. The fact that Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle have their own guitar is a matter of honor for the country musician and who knows Steve Earl, is also hardly surprised by his compulsive contributions on the mandolin. But also the Bouzouki, the harmonica and the Mandocello are not safe from the confessed country bard.
Each of the two Grammy-decorated singers has been on the road for about 30 years. Before they appeared together in Massachusetts in 1987, the two, who had already developed their own distinctive style, knew each other naturally. For this, the country scene is small enough even in the motherland USA. As songwriters, they of course took the opportunity to contribute their own songs to the album. Six of his own songs are facing four cover songs. Of the own compositions, Come What May is even a jointly created work, which leads the list of songs and introduces into the country world of the album a powerful gait, arranged without frills. It continues no less powerful with Tell Moses in the country-refined gospel style.
Tobacco Road goes back to J.D. Loudermilk. This blues classic enjoys a rocking new edition in the cover version of Colvin and Earl. This approach, which modifies the original blues, is more exciting than the Rolling-Stones classic Ruby Tuesday, which the two country bardens, together with the escort team, are realizing almost too close to the original. With Ian & Sylvia Tyson's You Were On My Mind and Emmylou Harris' Raise The Dead, Colvin and Earl are much more honorable. But honestly: what album and even one with cover versions is already designed optimally.
With the other songs of Colvin and Earl, especially with the last song of the album You're Still Gone, the two only make it clear that you can do without cover songs if they are of high quality, as on this album. On the other side good own composition do not fall out of the sky, which is why one can understand the recourse to the known well.
Alles in allem haben Colvin und Earl zusammen mit ihren Begleitmusikern ein Album abgeliefert, das anzuhören weit jenseits glattgebügelter Countrysongs mächtig Spaß macht als Synthese aus Shawn Colvins melodischem Ansatz und Steve Earls rauer Gangart. Der vom Produzenten verwirklichte Sound rundet den Spaß an diesem Album ab und kommt in der hohen Auflösung dieses Downloads voll zur Geltung.
All in all, Colvin and Earl, together with their accompanying musicians, have handed over an album that makes a lot of fun far beyond ironed country songs as a synthesis of Shawn Colvin's melodic approach and Steve Earl's harsh gait. The sound realized by the producer completes the fun of this album and achieves its full flavor in the high resolution of this download.
Shawn Colvin, vocals, guitar
Steve Earle, vocals, guitar