The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
Artist: The Civil Wars
Album: Barton Hollow
Out Now
Rating: 5/5
The Civil Wars’ debut album Barton Hollow is one of the most stripped back albums of 2012 so far and yet it is one of the most soulful and beautiful.
The Civil Wars, Joy Williams and John Paul White, have already got two Grammy awards under their belt and Barton Hollow looks set to be as big a success here in the UK as it is in the U.S.
The opening song 20 Years tells you everything that you need to know about this album as Joy & John’s vocals are supported simply with just a guitar.
There is a real sparse feel to this album there is no over production where the vocals and the emotions of the songs are drowned out and lost by a backing band.
Barton Hollow is a brave album from the pair as it lays their vocals bare, they intertwine their voices beautifully throughout the record and they really do complement each other wonderfully.
There is a real folk feel to Barton Hollow, throw in a pinch of the blues here and there and you have a simple and yet stunning set of thirteen songs.
They sing about love and relationships in I’ve Got This Friend and C’est la mort and the emotion just seeps through with these incredibly touching vocals from the duo - showing that really simplicity is best.
Barton Hollow is the debut singe for The Civil Wars and it really is one the best tracks on the album, this is also the song with the greatest level of production on it as the backing musical instruments play a much bigger role in creating the feel of the song.
The album rounds off with a great cover of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, and to say that they have put a new spin on the popular song is a bit of an understatement.
Gone is the pop feel and instead there is a real blues sound to it - it sounds like a completely new song being released for the time.
This is a very brave cover to attempt on a debut album but they have well and truly put their own spin on this very well known hit song.
Barton Hollow is an incredibly understated album but the acoustic recordings throughout are nothing short of perfect.
The Civil Wars have brought a really modern feel to the folk and blues sound and that creates a really timeless feel to this album.
The Civil Wars’ album Barton Hollow is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw