I’m talking about two pairs of voices here — the recently risen to fame duo John Paul White and Joy Williams of the group “The Civil Wars” and the little known gem “Armistice” comprising Jay Malinowski and Beatrice Martin aka Coeur de Pirate or Pirate Heart. Both groups of musicians seem to have a brand of longing, melodic agony, and a folk flare to their music.

Let us look at “The Civil Wars” whose popularity sky-rocketed with Barton Hollow, their album cover song about a fictitious place somewhere in the deep south. The song describes life’s choices and relationships and dis-satisfactions with a subdued intensity which is almost peaceful. And yet out of the tranquility comes a power as Williams and White display their vocal prowess with a volumetric escalation and dissipation within the same song. They show a well honed skill while transitioning from tempered introspections to fiery declarations. The track “Falling” from the same album goes to the lower end of the vocal spectrum and even though it is a song about falling out of love it has been sung with as much reverence as would be given to a love ballad. The instruments used are acoustic guitar for the most part with touches of violins when needed but keeping the instrumentation sparse is made up for by the lovely vocals that bring out a bluesy, folksy feel which brings both — a foreboding and a haunting calm which has an air of mystique and beauty.

For your listening pleasure,

Moving to our second and probably not so well known a pair, Jay Malinowski of “Bedouin Soundclash” who joined forces with Beatrice Martin for some soul wrenching songs under the band name Armistice, releasing a five-track album in February this year. Beatrice Martin has collaborated with the group “Bedouin Soundclash” on vocals for their track “Brutal Hearts.” An accomplished pianist with vocals that are reminiscent of Adele, Beatrice Martin has style. The track “God will get his man” has a feel of mystery and an abundance of cathartic moments. The song evokes a mystery movie vibe of the Dashiell Hammett era with a fresh spin on it. The guitar strummed has an ominous quality hinting a bleaker horizon. Put simply, these two voices belong together and sound fantastic. This certainly is a gifted pair of indie musicians and the track “City lights cry” brings out a tangible sense of chemistry between them. Although this album has been their only collaborative work so far, I would certainly hope they continue to sing together.