There was a time when British country bands were so uncool they made the most tragically unhip seem trendy. These days it’s a different story thanks to acts like the Shires, an English duo who, on the back of 2015’s high-charting debut ‘Brave’, are already the most successful country group the UK has ever produced. They’ve certainly brought youthful glamour and an appealing crossover sound to the genre, but are they really a country band or merely a pop outfit in disguise?
The debate about what constitutes country music has been raging in the USA for decades, with traditionalists bred on Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash vehemently objecting to the pop and rock elements that have invaded the Nashville scene. While they make pertinent points about the lack of lyrical substance and stylistic authenticity, it’s often an argument that fails to appreciate the world in which many young musicians are raised.
If bands like the Shires and their American counterparts love country, but have grown up with neither the hardships that fuelled their predecessors’ work nor the insular musical boundaries of the pre-MTV/internet generations, are they only supposed to imitate what’s gone before? Wouldn’t that be equally fake and facile?
Art reflects the experiences and influences of its creators, and those are largely shaped by their social, cultural and economic status as well as the impact of new technology.
The Shires, formed in 2013 by singer-songwriters Ben Earle and the exceptional Crissie Rhodes, are a product of the modern age. They have mirrored their environment to create contemporary country that’s seen them embraced by the Nashville community and even asked to appear at The Grand Ol’ Opry.
Inspired by the pop melodies and vocal harmonies of Lady Antebellum, ‘My Universe’ displays the same winning mixture of mostly lightweight, but enjoyably escapist, autobiographical duets that made ‘Brave’ so successful. The polished pop of the title track, air-punching Drive and Taylor Swift strains of A Thousand Hallejuahs are exceptionally buoyant radio anthems, while Not Even Drunk Right Now is a delightful, loved-up ditty full of rich imagery.
The spine-tingling Naked and desolately beautiful Other People’s Things, meanwhile, are exquisite ballads that feel more candid and genuine than some of the soppier, more generic efforts on ‘Brave’. Elsewhere, Daddy’s Little Girl and Everything You Never Gave are tear-jerking confessionals that also showcase their songwriting growth.
The former is Rhodes’ tender tribute to her late father, while the latter finds Earle about to become a father as he recalls the dad who abandoned him. It’s a fine step towards more conventional, personal country storytelling, making the prospect of future records that expand on that very appealing.
The record’s only real flaw has nothing to do with the songs, but its composition and sequencing. Great albums need tracks with a variety of tempos, arranged to create a pleasing ebb and flow that makes each cut stand out. There are too many slow numbers here and, regardless of their quality, placing four of them in the middle of the piece saps its momentum.
If you’re craving banjo-driven bluegrass or fiery outlaw country fuelled by socio-political ire, look elsewhere. But if your heart yearns for unchallenging, emotionally rich songs full of melody and to-die-for harmonies, ‘My Universe’ is a romantic and uplifting treat that will seduce all but the most cantankerous of purists.
The Shires Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue November 15 2016 - BELFAST Limelight
Fri November 18 2016 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Sun November 20 2016 - BASINGSTOKE Anvil
Mon November 21 2016 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Wed November 23 2016 - NORTHAMPTON Royal and Derngate
Thu November 24 2016 - CARDIFF St Davids Hall
Fri November 25 2016 - BEDFORD Corn Exchange
Sun November 27 2016 - CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Mon November 28 2016 - BRISTOL Colston Hall
Tue November 29 2016 - BRIGHTON Dome
Fri December 02 2016 - LLANDUDNO Venue Cymru
Sat December 03 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Sun December 04 2016 - MANCHESTER Bridgewater Hall
Mon December 05 2016 - GATESHEAD Sage Gateshead
Wed December 07 2016 - GLASGOW O2 ABC Glasgow
Thu December 08 2016 - YORK York Barbican
Fri December 09 2016 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Sun December 11 2016 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
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