Barton Hollow

Having worked for several radio stations since the early 1980's and running my own record store for the past five and a half years I've seen a lot of promotional records and compact discs cross my desk with all sorts of glowing press releases touting how it's the next big thing. Some of this comes from major record labels like Capitol or Warner Bros. but much of it is from smaller, independent labels. Some not much bigger than the coffee table in someone's living room that these records were hatched on, so when my account rep from one of the wholesalers I buy from sent me an email about The Civil Wars, a new Nashville duo, I didn't pay much attention to it. The next big thing in a pile of forgotten next big things. If The Civil Wars are so great why aren't they getting more attention of major labels.? A few days later I was on the phone with the said rep and he asks me if I have any interest in bringing in Barton Hollow, the debut release by The Civil Wars, into the store. My polite, but non-committal response was that I'd need to hear a few tracks first. I really didn't plan on doing that, but I like my rep, he's a good guy just doing his job and I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least pop over to youtube and have a look at The Civil Wars and see what they were about. I soon found the video for the title track and debut single of the upcoming album by the lovely Joy Williams and the rogueish John Paul White, the duo that comprise The Civil Wars. "Barton Hollow" is simple tune featuring an uptempo, heavily strummed resonator guitar by White and excellent vocals by both. My initial thoughts were that it was good but I wasn't convinced. However, there was enough there for me sample a second tune, "Poison & Wine". On this the musical chemistry between White and Williams was undeniable. The voices and instrumentation on the song perfectly capture the emotions of a couple who are no longer in love but just can't seem to move on with their lives. The tone and tempo of the track are not unlike something Alison Krauss might attempt in one of her poppier moments. The album had been described to me as something similar to Raising Sand, the album by Krauss and Robert Plant. I've found that these similarities are only on the surface. Where Plant & Krauss used the distinctive thump of T Bone Burnett's production The Civil Wars opt for a much more clean and streamlined sound. Every note & every vocal is crystal clear. Although the project originates in Nashville it would be a mistake to call this a country record. Yes, it's certainly got instrumentation that one would find on a record of that genre and it's obvious that Williams & White have absorbed influences from Nashville as well but they have been highly selective about what they take from country and what they leave out. There is a rural aspect to some of the music such as the title cut and although this is essentially an acoustic album albeit one with the occasional electric guitar or synth this is not Brooks & Dunn we are talking about. There is nothing slick about the album. It feels genuwine and honest and the performances are enthusiastic. As testament to this enthusiasm you are directed to check out the performance of "Barton Hollow" on the Tonight Show which you can find on youtube. Just Williams and White's vocals along with White's resonator guitar. They totally take command of the performance. For me, it took a song that I thought was a good song to the next level. It's become one of my favorite songs on the album because of the Tonight Show perfomance. I hate to use the term Americana or Alternative Folk to describe this music but for lack of a better one either will suffice for the time being. Neither Williams or White dominate the album. Both are exceptional vocalists and for every neat guitar lick or phrase from White there is something equally as catching from Williams' piano. They co-write every song on the album, with the exception of "Poison & Wine" which is also credited by Chris Lindsey, and this seems quite appropriate considering they met each other at a Nashville songwriting camp that neither wanted to attend. What makes Barton Hollow such an impressive debut is the way White and Williams' voices push and pull against each other, the consistentcy and variety of the songs and the excellent instrumentation such as cellos and violins (not fiddles) used on songs like the instrumental track "The Violet Hour" or "Girl with the Red Balloon". In this day and age of metal where singers feel the need to beat you over the head with screaming until their lungs explode on the stage, rappers extolling the value of the thug life and country records that seem to be concerned with how to recycle Keith Richards riffs into a hit, The Civil Wars come along with a refreshing album of songs that seem to put the values of songwriting, and harmony along with honesty and passion at the forefront. Do yourself a favor and do two things: 1. Buy this album when it's released on February 1st. It's available on vinyl and CD. 2. Pick up a pair of tickets to their upcoming show on February 10th at the Pour House in Raleigh. Do this and I promise not to send you any promo copies of Henry & His Singing Housecats Sing the Tiny Tim Songbook, surely the next big thing.