Striking Matches, the country duo who has been making waves since the release of their self-titled debut EP, released their debut album Nothing But The Silence on Monday. Although listed in the iTunes country category, the album is fluid across many genres with folk, blues, rock and country fragments creating a mosaic of sound that will appeal to a wide variety of music fans. Justin Davis and Sarah Zimmermann stay true to their word that the 11 track record will sound a lot like listening to them live, with organic sounding acoustics pervading each song.
From the up-tempo “Trouble Is As Trouble Does,” to the soulful “Make A Liar Out of Me,” to the lyrically driven “When The Right One Comes Along,” Davis and Zimmermann continue to prove that, while they each have tremendous vocal ability in their own right, they sound even better together; a jackpot pairing that resembles The Civil Wars.
Highlights:
“When The Right One Comes Along”
Performed by Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio on the ABC drama Nashville, this song is quiet in it’s instrumentation, acting as its own metaphor for the lyrics which speak to the idea that you won’t need any signs or grand realizations to know “when the right one comes along.” Davis and Zimmermann sing “There’s no music, no confetti / Crowds don’t cheer, and bells don’t ring / But you’ll know it, I can guarantee / When the right one comes along.” This track perfectly showcases Davis and Zimmermann’s vocals and subtle harmonies.
“Trouble Is As Trouble Does”
This track is just plain fun. Starting the album off strong with a catchy hook and heavy guitar, the pair sings, “But I can’t help myself when you’re around/ If trouble is as trouble does/ Then I’m in trouble now,” about the way infatuation has the ability to influence and shake up who we’ve always been. This track makes you want to listen further to see what else Davis and Zimmermann have up their sleeve.
“Make A Liar Out Of Me”
The soulful sound of this song landed it in the highlights section. The lyrics plead, “Go on, go on, make a liar out of me / Prove me wrong if you want to make me believe / In this feeling between us, said I didn’t need / Don’t you see that I love you / To make a liar out of me.” Davis sings the verses solo, his voice deep and impassioned, with Zimmermann coming in for the chorus to add some killer harmonies.
For more on Striking Matches, check out our interview with them last fall here.
You can get their album on iTunes now. You can also catch them at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville on Thursday night, or at the Opry this Saturday. Keep up with Striking Matches on their website.