Following 2011’s highly-regarded first studio album, Nashville duo John Paul White and Joy Williams return with their sophomore effort, and it’s a strong one.
The tone of the album is immediately forthcoming on opening and strongest track ‘The One That Got Away’, a powerful folk ballad tinged with country and blues influences and some definite pop inclinations. Lyrically, the opening track also paves the way for the subsequent tracks; odes to loss, regret and longing effected with such prowess and with a subtle Americana swagger so as to avoid the melancholy becoming overpowering.
The Civil Wars evidences a band pushing their sound toward a larger audience. The songs are much more accessible, typically structured and more catchy than anything on previous release Barton Hollow. Far from being a diluted style choice, The band’s songwriting virtuosity far outshines any stylistic quibbles. Sadly however, the haunting harmonies between White and Williams, rife on their first album, are less pointed here, detracting from one of the very things that was so mesmerising about the duo.
The general theme of discord and regret throughout the release seems particularly poignant when learning that irreconcilable differences have lead the duo to part ways and that the album was recorded in a turn-taking fashion, the two never being in the studio simultaneously. Songs such as ‘Eavesdrop’ could easily be biographically interpreted in light of the band’s current predicament, which makes the entire album entirely more exciting. An unsettling mix of sadness and longing, it seems entirely possible that The Civil Wars have managed to. rather ironically, record a fantastic album documenting their own feelings during the demise of the band.
The Civil Wars owes much of its appeal to its tendencies toward country music. A combination of acoustic instruments, sliding vocal harmonies and typical country chord progressions make much of the album feel instantly recognisable on first listen. ‘Devil’s Backbone’, is a good example of this. Following the age-old country tradition of songs about falling for a wrong’un (see Dolly Parton’s ‘Mountain Angel’ for a masterclass), the gospel-style vocals and Christian imagery add a real Appalachian slant to the album, more than likely stemming from the duo’s Nashville roots. This amalgamation of well-worn styles and techniques to create something so memorable and current is testament to the refined technique of White and Williams.
To summarise, The Civil Wars has instant appeal. Although probably not folky / country-y enough for purists, this is a sterling collection of songs borrowing in perfect amounts from a variety of genres, without ever losing its path. If you like a good song, I’d recommend this album no end. Coupled with the fact that it’s probably going to be their last, you’d be a fool not to give it a chance.
