There was a time when mixed country duets were commonplace. There was Loretta and Conway, Tammy and George, Dolly and Porter, Jessie and Waylon, June and Johnny, and Kenny Rogers having hits with Dolly Parton and Dottie West. Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell add to that tradition with their release Begonias on Yeproc Records. Coming from the alternative country universe their music is more like Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons than “Islands In The Stream”.
This isn’t surprising considering that Caitlin Cary was part of Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams and Thad Cockrell has vowed to put the hurt back into country. Cary and Cockrell have also worked together in the past so it was only natural for a full blown album of duets to be recorded in Music City, USA; Nashville. Fittingly the musicianship is flawless featuring Logan Matheny, Aaron Oliva, Pat Buchanan, and Pete Finney with Will Kimbrough making guest appearances on guitar and “baritone” for good measure.
Cary’s soulful voice threatens to overpower Cockrell’s tenor on the opening track “Two Different Things”, but the production work by Cockrell and Brad Jones is perfect allowing Cary just enough space to do her thing. Cockrell sounds a little like Ryan Adams on “Second Option.” “Please Break My Heart” has a “Crazy” like stroll to it which lends itself well to Cary’s vocal style. While Begonias is a good record, only one cut manages to lift itself into the realm of immediate classic and that is “Conversations About A Friend (Who’s In Love With Katie)” which could be the little sister to Gram Parsons’ “She”.
One of the things that gets under Cockrell’s skin is the term alternative country and he’s probably correct in disliking the term. I know I used the term earlier since it’s a convenient label for a lazy critic like me to toss around so it’s time to make amends. Begonias is simply a fine country record.
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