The Civil Wars, the indie-folk duo from Nashville has released their newest album. The self-titled record was released on August 6th, after a whirlwind of news sources released articles claiming that the pair had broken up. Unfortunately, the rumors are true and John Paul White & Joy Williams will be pursuing separate musical ventures.Â
The newest album, following their first full-length release as a duo, Barton Hollow, is a much more emotional record. With songs like “The One That Got Away” about feeling used and regretting a relationship and “Dust to Dust” with lyrics like “Disarm you with a smile and cut you like you want me to. Cut that little child inside of me and such a part of you,” the tension surrounding the album and the breakup has caused an uproar online. It’s clear that the album is rife with dark imagery, a welcome change from their first album.
Williams is the only one currently talking to the media and hasn’t given any indication about what may have happened between the two. Everything from an affair (Williams and White are both married, but not to each other) to artistic differences has been speculated as a reason for the breakup. Â Hear what Williams has been saying about the rift and the production of the first single, “The One That Got Away” below.
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Where Barton Hollow was a more of an upbeat record with the title track having a fast-paced feel and lively banjo, The Civil Wars is a more concentrated effort, focusing on themes of regret, mistakes and love lost. “Devil’s Backbone” is a perfect example of this new subject. Starting slowly with Joy’s soft, sweet melodies and building as the lyrics get heavier and more intense. The bridge, contains the lyrics “Give me the burden, give me the blame. I’ll shoulder the load, and I’ll swallow the shame. Give me the burden, give me the blame. How many, how many Hail Marys is it gonna take? ” which definitely had me wondering what happened between the pair.
The album also has The Civil Wars’ usual country-like roots with “From this Valley,” a song with a much more classic feel that features White a lot more prominently than the others and truly shows off what a talented duo White and Williams are. The most beautiful harmony I’ve ever heard the pair execute can be heard toward the middle of the song.
The album ends with a song called “D’arline,” an Irish name for “Oath.” While trying to dissect what occured between the two, it’s clear that an affair is a legitimate thought. Listen to the song below and leave your thoughts in the comments.
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With Joy’s melodic, calming voice and John’s guitar skills, this is sure to be an album for the record books, controversy aside. Their breath-taking harmonies and heartbreakingly story-like songs will surely be missed.
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