Inside Edge Records

***1/2

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Twangtown Paramours, the husband-and-wife duo of Mike Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer. New music from this reliably consistent pair is always a welcome surprise to find in the mailbox. One of the great strengths of their music is the eclectic mix of genres they so successfully blend. Brimming with confident and accomplished musicianship, first-rate vocal performances, and an abundant, utterly infectious, relish of the music itself. The textured sound channels folk, jazz, bluegrass, and pop through a slippery rhythmic sense that reflects the real-time meditative quality in the lyrics. As it weaves its way through a variety of sonic stylings, the album tells a story of resilience, gratitude and an understanding of the ever-changing society we inhabit. Lead vocals are mainly in the hands of MaryBeth, a diverse vocalist with a wide skill set. Growing up on a musical diet of opera and the American Songbook, she has performed rock, pop, blues, folk, country and of course some Broadway show tunes and even opera. There’s a sense of humour prevalent in some songs, as they urge the listener to have fun—important, of course—but they also remind us that joy is the flip side of struggle.

Mike and MaryBeth are a match made in musical heaven. On Sincerely Yours No More, the duo’s sterling harmonies float over the warm intonation of Jim Vancleve’s dashing fiddle and Rick Lonow’s crisp percussion, producing a sound that echoes with the front-porch, feel-good notes of bluegrass music while also delivering reflective, tender ballads about life and love on the softer songs. There’s a Parisian vibe to Room In Bordeaux with flawless instrumentation enhanced by Jeff Taylor’s evocative accordion, Mike’s finely picked acoustic and MaryBeth’s delicate vocal. Co-written with Music Row tunesmith Fred Koller, this is full of wistful memories, a bittersweet goodbye and a new life in France. The toe-tapping The Goodwill Store, with Mike handling lead vocals, has a playful hook, 1960s beat and cheeky lyrics about the delights of thrift store shopping. Mike also steps in for a wiggly Showin’ Off For Their Girlfriends, in which he combines robust energy with a light-hearted, yet smooth vocal, to lift the lid off the human approach to relationships.

But beyond the fun and humour, in the pair’s quieter moments, singer MaryBeth’s honest introspection feels just as powerful. The Garden dazzles, gem-like, in its perfection. Through gentle strumming and fragile piano interludes, the song binds melancholy to nature’s healing qualities. The music is just about as good as the sensitive words, which is saying something, and largely due to a very able crew of Nashville players who like this pair, are mostly known for what they do for other people. Old Friends is awash with atmosphere, pairing twinkling piano with MaryBeth’s ethereal vocals and it makes for an emotional listen. There’s a country vibe to Coupons & Cowboys, a tragic yarn of a dead-end waitress, who once dreamed of being a ballerina, but now must be content with ‘dancing with dishes’ and ‘balancing bowls with the spoons and the knives.’

As a singer, MaryBeth possesses a unique, sneakily dynamic voice and she uses it to great effect on the up-tempo The Wind Will Change Again. A song full of hope and promise, despite the onslaught of stormy weather and the hypocrisy that seems to invade our lives on a daily basis. Then gets dreamy in a restrained setting with Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown, one of the album’s two covers. On Adam Schlesinger’s That Thing You Do, they don’t seek to recreate the authoritative timbre of the original. Instead, they pair an ominous 1960s melody with anxious multi-tracked vocals to highlight the song’s feverish tone in a different, but equally dynamic, fashion. Still, that’s not to discount the duo’s original material which finds appropriate context, thanks to the skill of MaryBeth and Mike and the players involved. This is a terrific album, easygoing and twangy, that swings between tender ballads and rambling songs that draw on themes of love and longing in the best tradition of heartfelt roots music.

www.thetwangtownparamours.com

December 2024