Barton Hollow (Sensibility, 2011)
The Civil Wars
Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh
The way these two harmonize on Forget Me Not brings classic The Carter Family songs to mind. This album's title track is also its most rocking selection, even though it rocks out with aggressively strummed acoustic guitar. There is even a quiet piano instrumental called The Violet Hour.
Despite its battle-like duo name, The Civil Wars songs have little to do with that bloody American war. Nevertheless, if Ken Burns ever chooses to make a sequel to his acclaimed The Civil War documentary, this new act is more than qualified to contribute period-appropriate songs. It's unusual for such organic music to come out of Nashville. More often than not, songs just get cluttered with overproduction shortly after they're sung at Nashville's Bluebird Café. This CD is one exception, where acoustic songs are lovingly preserved in their original beauty, much like a national monument.
CDs by The Civil Wars
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