Title - 'Gone South'
Artist - 3 Pairs Of Boots
For those not in the know, San Francisco, CA-based Americana husband-and-wife duo 3 Pairs of Boots (Andrew Stern and Laura Arias) have just released their debut album, Gone South this past July 12th, 2019.
Stern and Arias originally met through a “Singer Wanted” ad and within a year they were not just bandmates, they were also spouses.
Produced by Stern and recorded in the band’s own studio, the music here on Gone South (out via Dark Country Music) is an amalgam of twangy two-step, gritty guitars, dusty pop, and bluesy, bittersweet folk from the Left Coast.
1. 'Hey, I'm On My Way'
2. 'Anything For You'
3. 'It Ain't Easy'
4. 'Gone South'
5. 'Dollar Store'
6. 'Wash Away the Blues'
7. 'One More Ride'
8. 'Slipping Away'
9. 'He Lost My Number'
10. 'Lousy Week'
11. 'Liberty'
12. 'Always Loved Cowboys'
While Tennessee and Texas reap most of the Americana glory, one cannot discount California’s contributions to the form. After all, the wide and deep genre’s roots reach back into the West Coast’s folk-rock scene just as much as they do the South’s blues and country traditions.
Kicking things off in fine style with the frenetic pace of 'Hey, I'm On My Way' and backing it up perfectly with both the mid-tempo, Sheryl Crow-esque 'Anything For You' and the finger-snappin' shuffle of 'It Ain't Easy,' you quickly know you've spent your money well.
The title track is as good as they come within this genre and begs to be played whilst you drive your car on a summer's day, windows down, arm-leaning. That's followed by 'Dollar Store,' a song that showcases the length and breadth of Arias' vocal talents exquisitely with the mid-tempo ballad 'Wash Away the Blues' along next.
The beautiful ballad 'One More Ride' is then backed by the up tempo gem 'Slipping Away' with one of my own personal favorites from the album, the fun storytelling of 'He Lost My Number' backing it nicely.
Another vocal depth is revealed by Arias within the sternly broadcast 'Lousy Week' with the album rounding out with a flowery 'Liberty,' and then the slow lo-fi country roll of 'Always Loved Cowboys.'
“We had a great time writing and recording these songs and got so much enjoyment as they revealed themselves during the recording process, discovering what they were all about, taking us places where we did not expect,” say Stern about Gone South. “We feel very close to all of them.”
Amazon Digital Purchase Link
www.3pairsofboots.com
3 Pairs Of Boots @ Facebook