Reviewed by Rob Birtley

'Souvenir' is the Americana stalwarts' 10th album in just 12 years. If you're new to them and happen to like your American roots music passionate and delicate, both strong and fragile flavoured with sweet and bitter sweet country, then this is a band you definitely need to check out. The rhythmically strummed classic Americana of starter "The Morning Song" might remind you of Ryan Adams best with the added windfall of being glued together with Holcomb's pleasant David Gray-like trill. Up tempo pop rocker "California" picks up the pace, using electric guitars and harmonica to pen a personal Valentine to the Sunshine State. Lead single of the album "Fight For Love" comes next. Holcomb says the song was written the day after the surprise result of November's US presidential election and is an electric country rocker that channels Springsteen's angst and works both as a powerful love song and emphatic call to action. The more personal "Rowdy Heart, Broken Wing" sees The Neighbors taking the song back to its bare bones and the lack of drums allows a timely change in mood as acoustic fingerpicking is left to carry the tune and weave the melancholic atmosphere. "Black And Blue" opens with piano and to say it's Beatle-esque is a major understatement. Ellie Holcomb's vocal acts as a powerful and emotion-packed echo to her husband and makes it my favourite track of the album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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