I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All words and opinions are my own.
One of my favorite country groups from when I was in high school was the Dixie Chicks. So when I heard that two of three Dixie Chicks members – sisters Emily Robinson and Martie Maguire – had just released their second album as members of Court Yard Hounds, I knew I wanted to give it a listen. I had loved the addition of their violin and banjo playing and was hoping to hear more in this separate venture.
As it turns out, there wasn’t much of their previous sound on “Amelita”, the Court Yard Hounds’ second release. This album contains 11 new tracks that are a different approach for the sisters. The songs are very relaxing; the overall tone of the album is a little more folk than the country-pop that you might expect.
The first track on the album, “Sunshine”, is probably my favorite. The sound is catchy, one of those songs to which you find yourself unknowingly nodding along. “Watch Your Step” is one of the more upbeat songs and is also one of my top choices. The full list of tracks includes:
- Sunshine
- Amelita
- The World Smiles
- Aimless Upward
- Guy Like You
- Rock All Night
- Phoebe
- Divided
- Gets You Down
- Watch Your Step
- The Road You Take
Emily couldn’t be more clear about the game plan for the Court Yard Hounds: “We’re a band, not a side project. We like our sound, and we’re going to continue to do this, and share something new this time around.” So if you find yourself loving the sisters’ unique sound and style, it sounds like there will be more albums coming from the duo in the future. Though I do hope there will be future offerings from the Dixie Chicks, too.