After a brief hiatus, The Civil Wars are set to release their sophomore self-titled album on August 6th, 2013. The Civil Wars are currently no more (though hopefully not for long), and the album was actually put together in late 2012, just as the duo initiated the “hiatus” citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition” as the reason.
So it’s kind of understandable that their public feud carried over a bit onto the tracks on this album. There’s more of a darker, angry edge that wasn’t on their debut album, Barton Hollow, and this can be heard in the number of beautiful breakup tunes like the album’s first single “The One That Got Away,” “Eavesdrop,” and “Dust To Dust”. Each song contains the same silvery harmonies and melodies, but with a haunting overtone that wraps the album together. Extremely impressive is their heart-wrenching take on the Smashing Pumpkin’s “Disarm”, bringing a whole new level of emotions and feels to the 1994 rock song.
Hopefully The Civil Wars can set aside their differences and keep making music together. The album is proof that even during some problematic times, they can put together a pretty amazing piece of work.
The Civil Wars Track List:
1. “The One That Got Away”
2. “I Had Me a Girl”
3. “Same Old Same Old”
4. “Dust to Dust”
5. “Eavesdrop”
6. “Devil’s Backbone”
7. “From This Valley”
8. “Tell Mama”
9. “Oh Henry”
10. “Disarm”
11. “Sacred Heart”
12. D’Arline
