- Audio CD (15 Mar 2011)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Sensibility Music
- ASIN: B004GY6DTS
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,219 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. 20 Years |
| 2. I've Got This Friend |
| 3. C'est La Mort |
| 4. To Whom It May Concern |
| 5. Poison & Wine |
| 6. My Father's Father |
| 7. Barton Hollow |
| 8. The Violet Hour |
| 9. Girl With the Red Balloon |
| 10. Falling |
| 11. Forget Me Not |
| 12. Birds of a Feather |
Product Description
Review
In February 2012, The Civil Wars – duo Joy Williams and John Paul White – won two Grammy Awards: Best Folk Album for their debut album, Barton Hollow, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for its title-track. It’s easy to hear why. Originally released in the States last year, said record’s love-torn, life-worn songs have finally dragged their weary, tired bones across the Atlantic just in time to soundtrack the onset of spring – or, rather, the end of winter. Because, in these original songs – and even in a bonus track, a quirky yet elegiac take on Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean – there’s a both a sense of finality and new beginnings, the ebb and flow of life and love.
Much of this is down to the interplay between Williams’ and White’s vocals – soft, dulcet, tentative whispers of musical conversation that, alone, sound scared and vulnerable but, when they sing together, are stronger and more powerful. Nowhere is this more evident than on the record’s highlight and centrepiece, Poison & Wine, a plaintive, forlorn swirl of conflicting emotions. "I don’t love you," the pair sing in unison on its searching, wistful chorus, "but I always will" – and immediately that paradox comes alive through the aching, trembling, brittle frame of the song and the defiance of its lyrics and vocal delivery. 20 Years is an equally stirring and haunting tribute to the past that cuts heart strings with each pluck of the guitar, while the gentle, stirring chug of C’est La Mort drifts like ashes scattered onto a river.
It’s not all tears and tragedy, though – the country jangle of the title-track, the neo-classical instrumental of The Violet Hour and the sparse waltz of Falling all add texture to the duo’s takes on that ageless, ever-inspiring theme of love. A timeless, anachronistic record, Barton Hollow could be from 30 years ago, or it could be from 30 years hence. What’s certain, though, is that you truly feel it in the here and now.
--Mischa Pearlman
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Product Description
STANDARD EDITION : Debut 2011 album! Organic folk-pop 'n' rootsy harmonics from the Nashville duo, for fans of Swell Season and Gillian Welch.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
A trip to Memphis Tennessee a few years back continues to pay dividends and can I thank a number of American friends for this recommendation. The Civil Wars are a duo consisting of John Paul White, hailing from Florence, Alabama and Joy Williams, originally from Santa Cruz, CA, but now residing in East Nashville. They have already altruistically shared a free concert album "Live at Eddie's attic" which remains available on their My space site for those of you seeking fine new music and now we have this wonderful debut album "Barton Hollow" to delight our aural senses. The word which best epitomises this record is "passionate". Check out the performance of the swampy folk title track they unveiled on the Jay Leno show and try not to be smitten by its drive and force. There certainly is a kind of "mixed doubles" Avett Brothers quality to their music but equally the duo evoke the fine pedigree of a Welch and Rawlings with their great singing voices and haunting melodies.
At the heart of "Barton Hollow" is the songwriting and none is finer that the brilliant alt country ballad "Poison and Wine" possibly the finest song I have heard this year and one you should send out a search party to locate. It builds slowly and deliberately and the vocals of White in particular resonate with emotion, building to a lovely climax. Opener "20 years" harks bark to that great forgotten American duo the Swell Season and is a heartbreaking country lament destined to take Nashville by storm. It is song that Emmylou Harris should record immediately. "The girl with the red balloon" has a ancient quality about it which the Fleet Foxes tapped into on their eponymous debut, while the haunting instrumental "Violet Hour" repays repeated plays. Anyone who listens to the beautiful "Falling" where this time Williams emerges as a true star, is destined to emerge with a broken heart, ditto the wistful "To whom it may concern" a rolling acoustic ballad so light it could be lifted by a breeze. All this points to the chemistry between the two singers which must suggest more than a platonic friendship bearing in mind the intensity they whip up on songs like the pure Nashville orientated "Forget me not" which had this reviewer daydreaming of fond memories of the Parsons and Harris classic partnership. A debut this good deserves wider recognition not least in recent years since like minded bands who have ploughed this furrow such as the Everbodyfields, Bowerbirds, Anthony Da Costa and Abby Gardner have not achieved their just desserts. The Civil Wars have been described as the coolest duo since the White Stripes a unfair comparison since they work in very different traditions. That said anyone who listens to the Civil Wars brilliant cover of the Jackson 5's "I want you back" must regret that they are not a public limited company since you will want a share of this action.
PS - their Oct 2011 performance on Jools Holland was scintillating including a cover of "Billie Jean" and a roaring version of this albums title track. Well worth seeking out.
At the heart of "Barton Hollow" is the songwriting and none is finer that the brilliant alt country ballad "Poison and Wine" possibly the finest song I have heard this year and one you should send out a search party to locate. It builds slowly and deliberately and the vocals of White in particular resonate with emotion, building to a lovely climax. Opener "20 years" harks bark to that great forgotten American duo the Swell Season and is a heartbreaking country lament destined to take Nashville by storm. It is song that Emmylou Harris should record immediately. "The girl with the red balloon" has a ancient quality about it which the Fleet Foxes tapped into on their eponymous debut, while the haunting instrumental "Violet Hour" repays repeated plays. Anyone who listens to the beautiful "Falling" where this time Williams emerges as a true star, is destined to emerge with a broken heart, ditto the wistful "To whom it may concern" a rolling acoustic ballad so light it could be lifted by a breeze. All this points to the chemistry between the two singers which must suggest more than a platonic friendship bearing in mind the intensity they whip up on songs like the pure Nashville orientated "Forget me not" which had this reviewer daydreaming of fond memories of the Parsons and Harris classic partnership. A debut this good deserves wider recognition not least in recent years since like minded bands who have ploughed this furrow such as the Everbodyfields, Bowerbirds, Anthony Da Costa and Abby Gardner have not achieved their just desserts. The Civil Wars have been described as the coolest duo since the White Stripes a unfair comparison since they work in very different traditions. That said anyone who listens to the Civil Wars brilliant cover of the Jackson 5's "I want you back" must regret that they are not a public limited company since you will want a share of this action.
PS - their Oct 2011 performance on Jools Holland was scintillating including a cover of "Billie Jean" and a roaring version of this albums title track. Well worth seeking out.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I bought this album on the strength of TCWs set on Jools Holland Live, which was in all respects as remarkable a debut perhaps as k t tunstall some years ago. A little research took me to find their live set, from their second ever gig in the 'Attic'. Once again I was blown away, so perhaps expectations were raised for their first studio album. Most of their self penned work here is familiar and is supported by bass, guitar piano and slide across a range of tracks. However, and quality production notwithstanding, their is something missing from these versions... and simply it is the chemistry and interplay that Joy and John display in their live work. It is not often that I would prefer a live album over a studio offering, but in this case The Civil Wars fail to deliver the heights of their live work. Hence a lower score than I had anticipated.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is simply the best new country set i've heard in a long ,long time. The vocal harmonies are haunting and accompanied by sparce yet fluid arrangements that hypnotise and draw you in. As a debut album they may have just given themselves a massive task to better it with a follow up album, that said I hope they are prolific composers and that a second album won't be long. I for one will buy it. Anyone who has Duhks, Nickel Creek or Crooked Still albums must add this to their collections.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
CD Review
Heard some songs from this album on the radio and just had to buy the CD. It did not disappoint and with 18 songs is fantastic value!
Published 6 days ago by J. Lewis
This album is superb
I saw The Civil Wars on Jules Holland and was enchanted, despite not being a big fan of Country style music. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Reg_Dor
civil wars
bought this album on the strengh of one track billy jean and was very supprised at the quality of the whole album simply first rate will buy more of their albums you will not be... Read more
Published 9 days ago by music lover
Great album
Heard only one song on radio 2, was enough to go ahead and buy the album. Great album, would def recommend. Their voices blend beautifully together and not a bad track in sight.
Published 10 days ago by Weedybum
Barton Hollow
Heard the track, 'Barton Hollow' on Steve Wright and immediately bought the album., Unfortuneately, the rest of the album comes nowhere near the immediacy of this track, passable... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Chris East
Barton Hollow
first heard The Civil Wars on Jools Holland and was blown away by their music.Asked my daughter in law to buy me the cd for xmas but she couldnt find it. Read more
Published 12 days ago by annie
Barton Hollow
after hearing their version of Billie Jean on the radio whilst driving, I just had to get the CD and was not disappointed. This duo have a unique sound, compelling, lyrical. Read more
Published 12 days ago by H
barton hollow
A rare treat,this is something special,the empty sounds and awsome lyrics draw you in.Their vocals together or on their own are just fantastic. Back to real Music, at last.
Published 21 days ago by mrstu
Excellent!
Saw The Civil Wars on BBC breakfast and was so taken by them I had to buy the album!. I don't do folk or country and western,but just love the beautiful sounds these two make. Read more
Published 21 days ago by H
barton hollow
beautiful! Harmonies wonderful their voices compliment each other Billie Jean is inspired So happy I bought this CD everyone I know who have listened to it agrees The Civil Wars -... Read more
Published 21 days ago by c williamson
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