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“Thank yewwwww!”
This is how The Wreckers, namely Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp, show appreciation to their audience after every song on their new live CD. The women sound remarkably alike; as they take turns with stage patter and lead vocals, it’s hard to tell who’s who. But the good news is they sound marvelous, together or alone.
Last year The Wreckers filled a hole in country radio since there were no other female singing duos around and the Dixie Chicks had left the country airwaves. The first Wreckers single “Leave the Pieces” went to number one. (My fourteen-year-old daughter loves the song.) And the album was successful as well.
Their second release is called Way Back Home: Live from New York City. Here, they’ve come back to the place they recorded the first album after many months of nonstop touring. There’s a happiness to the sound, from both singers and backup band. They sound good together, tight, in synch. Especially the singers.
“The Good Kind” has a rock and roll feel, with electric guitars and fiddle cooking in the background. “Love Me Like That” is more country, more organy, with a spry banjo. But the title tune, “Way Back Home,” is where the band really comes alive. You can tell they’ve found a kinship. Here they come close to the emotional kick that the Chicks once provided and still do. Also, the mandolin, one of my favorite instruments, comes into play.
“Crazy People” comes with some explanation. “It is dubbed ‘the murdering song,’” says Jess. “But we promise we didn’t kill anybody.” It’s a slow, graceful waltz, but with lyrics designed to shock: “Well he loved his whisky / His fist loved my face / So I buried that man / They won’t find a trace.”
My favorite cut, “My, Oh My,” will get your blood racing with a great beat and the women in perfect harmony. Plus, all the musicians get to show off a little. “Tennessee” is the song that “makes us feel a little less homesick” according to Jess. Slow, ponderous, sweet. Just like home.
Near the end the band performs “Leave the Pieces” – it sounds just like the studio version except for the audience sing-along. This would have been a great place to end the show. But, uh oh. When the band returns for an encore, they choose the introspective “Stand Still, Look Pretty” and the dark, depressed “Rain.” The songs are both good in their way, just not encore material. I would have been happier with a reprise of “My, Oh My.”
But don’t let this quibble deter you. The Wreckers have a sound that’s fresh and new, better with each listening. Here’s hoping that Jess and Michelle can keep the freshness of this excellent live album with them for years to come.
Author’s Note: The package also includes a DVD version of the concert (which is how I finally separated the voices), plus a five-minute interview.
