Gone South
Self-Released, 2019
8/10
The husband and wife duo of Andrew Stern and Laura Arias, as 3 Pairs Of Boots the couple further prove that California breeds just as much stunning Americana as Nashville or the Southern States.
Though the pair have played many genres of music and take influence from artists as vast as The Smiths and Tom Petty, Gone South has the duo working around the edges of blues, rock and country influenced territory.
“Hey, I’m On My Way” gets the listen off to a peppy, country shuffling pace with gorgeous vocal harmonies, and “Anything For You” follows with warm guitars and some pop-influences in the dusty rocker.
Elsewhere, “Gone South” trims the pace back to reflective as the tune unfolds with cautious melodies, while “Dollar Store” delivers a rockin’ spirit in the Americana umbrella, though it’s far from your typical approach.
The back half of the album offers the ballad like setting of “He Lost My Number” that builds into a playful country-pop highlight, the rugged yet tuneful “Lousy Week”, and the more classic country ideas of “Liberty”. “Always Loved Cowboys” ends the affair with beautiful melodies and soothing backing vocals.
Stern handles guitar duties here and finds a great balance between straightforward and intricate with timeless radiance, and Arias brings her soulful, luminous vocals to heartfelt, smart and memorable songs that can be raw, pretty and even moving.
While the Americana pool is getting deeper all the time, 3 Pair Of Boots are an outfit worthy of keeping an eye on as their strong song craft and breezy delivery puts them near the top of the list.
Travels well with: Maren Morris- Hero; Miranda Lambert- Revolution