Country music from a fan's point of view since 2008
Whether the medium is literature, film or music, sequels rarely live up to the reputations of the original projects they follow. For that reason and because both Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been known to experiment with a variety of musical styles, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I heard that they were teaming up for a second duets album. While The Traveling Kind isn’t quite as good as 2013’s Old Yellow Moon, it’s an example of a sequel done properly. It also, thankfully, finds them sticking more closely to their country roots than many of their post-commercial peak projects.
Recorded in Nashville last July and produced by Joe Henry, The Traveling Kind consists of eleven tracks. Rodney had a hand in writing nine of them, three of which include Emmylou as a co-writer. While I didn’t much care for the bluesy “Weight of the World”, their other two compositions (with co-writer Corey Chisel — the title track and the steel guitar-laden “You Can’t Say We Didn’t Try”, are excellent. I particularly enjoyed the duo’s take on “No Memories Hangin’ ‘Round”, Rodney’s 1979 composition that was originally a Top 20 hit for Rosanne Cash and Bobby Bare.
My favorite track is “Just Pleasing You”, a Crowell co-write with Mary Starr that sounds a lot like an old Hank Williams song with a tune that faintly resembles “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)”. Almost as good is “If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now”. Both are sure to please fans who miss the way country music used to sound.
Only two tracks come exclusively from outside songwriters: “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad” is an uptempo and quite enjoyable Lucinda Williams song, and “Her Hair Was Red”, is a Celtic-tinged number by Amy Allison which is a perfect vehicle for Emmylou.
The entire album is tastefully and sparsely produced, with an emphasis on acoustic instruments, with very little assistance from backing vocalists. Unlike a lot of “duet” projects, Harris and Crowell actually sing with — as opposed to around — each other. It is a quiet album that never allows the production to get in the way of the songs. I highly recommend it for fans of both artists, as well as for any country fans are dissatisfied with modern country radio’s typical offerings.
Grade: A
My Kind of Country 