Thank goodness for the Civil Wars. If not for their popularity, we wouldn’t have folk duos like The Hems.
I think at this point we should just admit that this is a subgenre (or maybe it is and I’m late to the party.) There’s an intimacy and a special chemistry between two people playing music together that you just don’t get with a band.
The Hems’ synergy is evident. Heavily inspired by classic country acts, The Hems add their own off-kilter touch to their music. “Honey Twist” and “Acres of My Own” have a weird (to me) at least chord progression that simultaneously confuses my brain and makes me want to hear more. Songs like “Dream Will Do,” “Novaleen,” and “Rebecca” are more traditional in approach, but that certainly does not make them weak or derivative. Those Early Years is a fantastic debut. Can’t wait for the later years.
The Hems — ReverbNation, Facebook, Bandcamp