Even cowboys get the blues and Miss Shevaughn has something to be blue about after being diagnosed with cervical cancer in early 2013.
Undeterred, the California-based duo turned foursome's second album taps into a spirit of resilience and perseverance.
The opening track (Drifter's Compass) is described as "A defiant anthem for the underdogs and artists who create outside the mainstream because they simply must"
You only have to glance at the album cover to see that their points of reference include The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds' Sweetheart Of The Rodeo period.
The tracks have a pleasantly fuzzy twanginess but the record is let down by messy arrangements and flat production values.
To my ear they never seem entirely sure whether they want to play straight Alt.country or launch into sprawling Grateful Dead style jams. The inclination towards the latter is evident in the guitar-driven finale to When The Pumps Run Dry.
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On some songs, notably Bleed Me the organ sound and backing chorus has a distinctly gospel feel
The divided and confused musical identity is in part due to Miss Shevaughn's vocals which lie some way between the tremulous tones of Joan Baez and the raunchiness of Janis Joplin.
Overall, it's an album where the spirit is potent but focus is overly distilled.
Band website
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