ACM award-winning husband and wife duo Joey+Rory first performed together on CMT's hit series Can You Duet, where they quickly became fan favorites and ultimately placed in the show's Top 3. Their debut album The Life of a Song followed, chock-full of beautiful harmonies, top-notch songwriting, a traditional country aesthetic, and their natural joyfulness, authenticity and romance. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard Country Album charts and remained on that chart for over 50 weeks. The duo enjoyed a hit single and video with first single "Cheater Cheater" and landed starring spots in a series of Overstock.com TV spots. Now, Joey + Rory's release their sophomore release off of Sugar Hill Records, an appropriately named Album Number 2.
The Review:
It's hard to not draw comparisons between Joey+Rory and The Judds. It might be a family thing. It might be an acoustic styling in production thing. It could just be a way they approach music that’s different from the mainstream that allows it to stand out in a distinctive way. The end result is that each one of the tracks is a homespun take or slice of Americana that isn’t what you hear too often on the radio dial any longer.
The common theme running through Album Number 2 is “perspective.” Whether it’s the title of the album, fun lyrics that you’re not too big for your britches or reminders of keeping what’s important in life the focus, the album is reflective of two artists who recognize their unique place in an industry providing a sound that’s just left of mainstream. Perhaps part of it is their authenticity. The couple shares a gift for communicating their values through songs- truth and stories pulled from their own life experiences and burned into three-minute, instrumental chapters of their life. It’s rarely a stereotype- always heartfelt. Most of the singing is provided by the beautiful vocals- that are always under-appreciated- of the fairer sex of the couple, Joey.
There are several high points across the album starting with the title track. Yep, the duo wrote a song called “Album Number 2.” The song touches on the funny process of their second release and suggests that if this happens to be their last album, and they have to bid adieu, they happily do so with Album Number 2. It’s cute and quirky and an appropriate way to set the theme of the album.
The strongest track on the album is the one not sung by Joey, but by Rory. On “My Old Man”, he sings a beautiful dedication to his father highlighted by the struggles he went through dealing with a songwriter for a son and the sacrifices that he made to help him live his dream. It’s a powerful song that was borrowed off a (very limited) indie release that Joey made several years back.
Sounds Like:
The Judds
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Album Number 2
Baby I’ll Come Back To You
The Horse Nobody Could Ride
Farm To Fame
God Help My Man
My Ole Man
The Verdict:
Three and A Half Stars Out Of Five
I agree with the descriptions of the song Album Number Two and how strong Rory is vocally on My Ol' Man - but I'm surprised to not see a mention here of who co-wrote that song with him. (being that it's Luke Bryan!)
ReplyDelete