It seems they’re a good time in putting out good Americana sounds. This time from the other side of the pond and a duo that represents some of the best non-American exponents of Americana - the British duo My Darling Clementine and their fourth album Still Testifying. When they cropped up on the scene back in 2011, they sounded like some recreation of the famous Nashville male/female duets, and that sound brought them even the prize of being the best UK Country artist of the following year.
Three albums on, and a collaboration with crime novelists in between, the famous duo concept still remains. But, instead of the standard, shall we say Tammy Wynette/George Jones combination, the shift turns more towards say, Delaney & Bonnie and the soulful country sounds, just like out of the Dan Penn/ Spooner Oldham songbook, with Tammy and George still present. It is a pretty nifty combination as they would say, and to evidence it, you don’t have to go any further than the opener The Embers And The Flames. The combination of the standard country instrumental setup with the added Memphis sounding brass and other soulful elements like the underpinning Hammond organ (Eugene, for example) works charms throughout the album.
Narratively, and on the surface, the duo sticks to the shall we say ’standard’ country emotional troubles themes, but has obviously brought in a lot of personal elements that make the lyrics sound genuine and not contrived. The duo, Michael Weston, and Lou Dalglish, obviously have the musical and lyrical aspects of country music in their pinky fingers, or they wouldn’t be able to come up with such gems on this album like Jolene’s Story and Two Lane Texaco. I have no idea how much time or have My Darling Clementine spent any time (quite probable) on the other side of the Atlantic, but with this album, they prove that they have in themselves the true essence of Americana, and they really show it here. A great effort.
