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[Rootsy]

Court Yard Hounds

Court Yard Hounds

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Court Yard Hounds, Court Yard Hounds

With the Dixie Chicks on unofficial hiatus, secondary Chicks Emily Robison and Martie Maguire have teamed up as the Court Yard Hounds, delivering an album that’s in many ways the natural extension of the Chicks’ 2006 release, Taking the Long Way. Without lead singer Natalie Maines, Robison and Maguire mostly steer clear of Long Way’s social commentary, but musically they take a few more steps away from the traditional country of their early days.

The Details

Court Yard Hounds
Court Yard Hounds
Three stars
Beyond the Weekly
Court Yard Hounds, official site

“Ain’t No Son” opens with a banjo-and-fiddle-fueled throwback to Robison and Maguire’s bluegrass roots, and standard country instrumentation is peppered throughout the rest of the album. But overall the Hounds’ sound is laid-back rootsy pop-rock in the vein of Sheryl Crow, and as such it can be a little sleepy. Robison, who sings lead on all but one track, lacks Maines’ powerhouse voice. With luck, we’ll be hearing that voice on some new music soon; until then, this is a decent substitute.

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