Impeccable harmony vocals, sibling-like to be exact decorate their second album. Following on from Yellow Moon (2013) the old friends serve up a finer set of songs than the former. It genuinely feels, as stated by Crowell that making the album for them was like falling off a log; so natural and organically made it is too. Nothing over fancy just a good set of players (Steuart Smith, Billy Payne), doing enough to form flowing melodies and an ambiance to suit the mood of the lyrics. Recorded over a six-day span with Joe Henry producing nothing is wasted, as pedal steel, lead guitar, piano, bass, percussion and drums warm the eleven tracks, six of which were written by Harris and Crowell with help on some from Will Jennings and Cory Chisel.
Both Harris and Crowell, who played with Harris in the mid-late 1970s as part of her famed Hot Band; playing rhythm guitar and providing harmony vocals, and a couple of songs too back in the days of her albums Elite Hotel and Pieces Of The Sky.
Unlike Yellow Moon, where I tended to cherry pick as to what I liked and played, The Travelin’ Kind is a straight run through. Crowell it seems took it on himself to lead them, and it could not have worked better. Harris meanwhile punches her weight on “Bring It Home To Memphis” (Crowell, Larry Klein), as not only does the lady provide harmony vocals but some wonderfully evocative monologue mid-way through the song. Five-star stuff. Such the chemistry present on the song, it is something they get to repeat regularly throughout the album. Another such precious occasion “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad” (Lucinda Williams) plus their own bouncy, instantly connecting piece “If You Lived Here, You’d be Home Now”. With mandolin, twangy country guitar and some pedal steel straight out of the Hank Williams’ textbook it is a killer, and will be greeted with wild applause wherever it performed on their forthcoming UK dates. You can bank on it!
Crowell often as not is at his best when he lets go, provide a little swagger and up the voltage of the drama and general flavour. You have little of this on a version of his song, “No Memories Hanging Around”; a 1980 hit for Rosanne Cash and Bobby Bare, and though good I still prefer the original. Not least due to the greater swagger their version possesses. Only on “Higher Mountains” with Harris on lead do I feel they come a little unstuck, then again it may be just be a slow burner?
Of a moody feel, “You Can’t Say We Didn’t Try”; written by the duo and relatively new act Chisel the same line-up came up with the radio friendly title-track, “The Travelin’ Kind” it is nice reflected offering. Others of note include a Crowell opened bluesy “Weight Of The World” and his co-write with poet Mary Karr “Just Pleasing You” that comes complete with delicious pedal steel. Surprise cover of the album is a cover of Amy Allison’s “Her Hair Was Red”, Harris’ tender tones winning favour. Lively cajun song “La Danse De La Joie” hits the boards running and neither look back as they introduce a little Louisiana feel to the occasion by way of some Cajun French scattered across the lyrics, as they throw off their shoes (and invite everyone to join them). I couldn’t think of a finer way to close a quality record.
Maurice Hope