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Duo Joy Williams and John Paul White took many by surprise when they released their first album Barton Hollow under their performing name of The Civil Wars. A beautiful mix of country, folk and bluegrass, their intimate songs were so delicately crafted one would have expected them to be the reserve of small venues and local perfomances. Instead, their calibre earned the duo plane tickets to various corners of the planet and two Grammy awards to boot.
Whether the popularity got too much or the endless performances of tortured love songs had actually taken their emotional toll, the strange circumstances have come around whereby The Civil Wars second album is being released while the band is on hiatus. However there is no sense that this album is anything less than complete and as intended. To the contrary, The Civil Wars have seemingly been raised a peg or two when it comes to the production on this self-entitled effort, with the result that this is an album that sounds far more grandiose and layered.
Below: listen to 'From This Valley' by The Civil Wars below
This is a mixed blessing for a band who excelled through their raw energy and talent. With saccharine ladled on to their efforts, where once there would have been the rough sound of hands dragging on acoustic guitar strings, now there are over-produced slide guitars and too much reverb on 'Dust to Dust'. In turn, 'Same Old Same Old' lives up to its name delivering what feels like a Bryan Adams cast-off, while a few other songs feel less compelling and more country cliche. A cover of The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Disarm', though an interesting take on the song, doesn't quite hit the mark either.
But when The Civil Wars turn the passion on its hard not to warm to them. 'Eavesdrop' maybe a soppy love ballad but the chemistry and charge between these two performers elevates it to become highly engaging. And given the band's current circumstances, the strained chorus on 'One That Got Away' has particular strength, perhaps being the centrepiece of the album.
Listen to album standout 'The One That Got Away' below
An overall good outing, there are enough muted parts on this album to ensure a good think before buying it. These lacklustre numbers are no better or worse than the rest of mainstream folk and country. But when The Civil Wars hit their stride there are few better recording artists out there. Perhaps its greedy to want their best all of the time, but so compelling is their craft that it leaves you craving more. I can only hope The Civil Wars are around to deliver a third album to offer this.
