STATE OF THE UNION
Reveal Records REVEAL005CDX
Two men, two voices, two guitars, two handfuls of songs - one CD of laidback music delivered to your living room feeling as if it is just for you.
A chance phone call led to this collaboration. Tunes were exchanged and an important decision made to record State Of The Union properly in a studio. That’s what gives this its feeling of union which would have been impossible had Boo Hewerdine and Brooks Williams not been in the same room. Considering the CD was recorded in less than two days, the interaction and empathy between the two is special.
But what else would we expect from two master musicians - Brooks Williams with his bluesy Americana and Boo from just about everywhere. Boo is no stranger to collaborations (Eddie Reader, Clive Gregson, Heidi Talbot, Kris Drever etc) and has written music for many including Suggs and Paul Young. Brooks seems to me to be one of the dying breed of troubadours who is at his best when performing the music he obviously loves. Both bring material to State Of The Union, and both show off their voices and musicianship, but this is a case where the two parts become one and that one is as good, if not better than the parts.
Highlights? Cicadas for the beautiful guitar work; Rent (yes, the Pet Shop Boys song); the traditional Peg and Awl and Sweet Honey In The Rock because, like much of the material, it has a great tag line.
After only a couple of listens I found myself singing along so I would expect their live performance to be something else.
Recommended.
Dave Beeby
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this CD online from The Listening Post The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine. This album was reviewed in Issue 92 of The Living Tradition magazine. |