Court Yard Hounds, "Court Yard Hounds” (Columbia)
Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson began performing together in childhood, and they recorded their first album, as members of the Dixie Chicks, 20 years ago. But the Court Yard Hounds marks the talented musicians’ first effort as a duo.
The result — tender, thoughtful, and immaculately put together — is quieter and more understated than their work in the Dixie Chicks. The self-titled album offers contemplative songs about love and self-identity that emphasize wisdom more than action.
Co-produced with veteran engineer Jim Scott, the album features beautifully rendered acoustic arrangements, with Robinson on banjo, dobro and guitar, and Maguire on fiddle, viola and mandolin. The songs, most of them written by Robison, are mature reflections on grown-up life, inspired in part by Robison’s recent divorce.
Robison handles most of the vocals; her tuneful and carefully enunciated words lack Natalie Maines’ dynamic range, but she effectively tempers the music to fit the expressive beauty of her voice. Maguire sings "Gracefully,” which she wrote; it’s an elegant ballad about a woman hoping to leave an alcoholic lover without too much drama.
Altogether, the point isn’t how the Court Yard Hounds depart from their work in the Dixie Chicks. It’s about adult sisters getting through a difficult time by pouring their feelings into music — something they’ve done together for most of their lives.
CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "Fairytale,” an acoustic ballad buoyed by a beautiful string arrangement, finds a woman gently yet resolutely stating that she won’t settle for less than all the romance and passion she deserves from a relationship.
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