From This Valley - The Civil Wars

Refreshing Voices Mixed With Soul and Talent

I was told this is not country, but folk-music, but for my sake and the general audience, this is mostly country music. From This Valley is something that I have been wanting from the Country/Folk genre for a long time. I know that it doesn’t follow the normal country formula, but that is what I love so much about this song (and The Civil Wars in general). The violins and bouncing bass with strong rich southern vocals are used in such a beautiful way, I found it hard not to fall in love with this song.  Both the male and female's voice are wonderful complements to the song and each other. She has that sweet southern voice with a tiny roughness to give a full range of sound, while his perfectly controlled bold tenor intertwines with her melody creating a fantastic combo of sugar and spice. The acapella parts are just as strong as the parts with full instruments, which is hard for any band to pull off in such an upbeat song. Also, side note, these two singers are just as great in their live music as they are in their recorded album, check it out, they are truly amazing. The rich twang of the first guitar strings and the steady bass drum pull the song along from start to finish. If you want/need a segue into the country/folk type of music, The Civil Wars is a great group to start with.

Originality:8

Instruments:7

Vocals:9

Longevity:8

Red Score:8