Harp Magazine just released its Mar/Apr issue featuring a review of the Houstons’ Still. Very nice. Here it is, but please pick up a copy at your local bookstore.

The Houstons, Still

The Houstons did right in naming their first album. Still is the kind of record to just sit and absorb. Every song is a thoughtful reflection set to hushed rock ‘n’ roll made up of almost twangy guitars, somber strings and keyboards. In “Magnolia,” in a whispery voice Justin Faircloth dissects a dying love affair, the kind of crumbling bond that’s hard to break in spite of its problems. The striking song sounds like it was recorded in a small room, Faircloth’s voice at the center, with warm strings and loud keys closing in. The effect simulates the kind of intimacy that half comforts, half hurts. “Won’t you lie down, Magnolia?” he begs. “There are certain things we should not question.” Faircloth and brother Matt used to be the duo the Houston Brothers, until they went on hiatus in 2004. They’re back with a shorter band name, a lineup that’s swelled to five and these 11 bittersweet songs.

By Crystal K. Wiebe