Steve Almaas and Ali Smith

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Amazon

This duo comes from the same area as Sarah Guthrie and Johnny Irion in terms of sound, particularly on the alt.country gem of a title track. The harmonies are sweet and the chorus sweeter, resulting in a strong opening. Meanwhile, Smith softens the album up slightly with the pop, adult-tinged “Culebra”, which sounds like an Americanized Beautiful South. But things get off on the wrong track with the roots-meets-psychedelica “Absolutely Free” that might be a Sheryl Crow b-side at best. Fortunately, they redeem themselves with the pretty, tender and thoughtful “What No Angel Knows” and the equally inviting, slow-dance feel fuelling the haunting “The Lonely Sea”. Fans of Blue Rodeo or the Jayhawks would seek comfort in the chugging “#7”, “Ed’s Tower To The Top”, and the warm “I Don’t Like to Be Alone”, which sounds like an early Everly Brothers cover.

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