Album Review: Court Yard Hounds' Amelita

Amelita is Court Yard Hounds' second album. Court Yard Hounds is a country-pop-folk band started by Emily Robison and her sister Martie Maguire. They were members of the Dixie Chicks. I have never listened to the Dixie Chicks and have never listened to Court Yard Hounds' first album. Amelita is an upbeat, hopeful, fun album. I enjoyed the instrumental parts and the voices are beautiful. However, I discovered that it's not really my style. The songs are all originals, co-written by the sisters and/or people they know. The track that stands out the most to me is "Phoebe". It's a fun-filled fiddling jam! "Sunshine" is a surprise song because it's about a sarcastic name given to a person who finds ways to bring others down. "The World Smiles" is a happy song of optimism. Other songs that stand out to me include "The Road You Take" (it's about decision-making), "Gets You Down", and Amelita (a warning message to a friend).

The new direction is apparent on title track “Amelita,” which has a breezy south-of-the-border sound, or “Phoebe,” which calls in a frenetic, anxious melody, and chillingly close harmonies. Lead single “Sunshine,” co-written by acclaimed singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke along with Martin Strayer and Alex Dezen, oozes with irony as the girls flash their carefully manicured claws through silken harmonies.
Robison’s vocals captivate listeners as she sings lead on most tracks, while Maguire co-wrote seven of the 11 songs on the album, penned “Road You Take” herself, and sings lead on “Guy Like You,” which she wrote with guitarist Martin Strayer.
The girls teamed up with the same producer, Jim Scott, who they’ve had a true connection with since their first album. Surrounding themselves with Jim and guitarist Martin Strayer, who was also an integral part of the first album, the girls took a comfortable and pro-active approach to creating their music this time around. “I think we’ve approached it differently because we felt like okay, we are a band. We aren’t just two ex-Dixie Chicks anymore, we’re a band and we like our sound and we’re going to continue to do this and hopefully get better at it, and share something new this time around,” said Maguire.

Amelita Track Listing:

Sunshine
Amelita
The World Smiles
Aimless Upward
Guy Like You
Rock All Night
Phoebe
Divided
Gets You Down
Watch Your Step
The Road You Take

Media Links:

CYH on Twitter
CYH on Facebook
Emily Robison on Twitter
Martie McGuire on Twitter

Links To Buy Album:

~I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD in exchange for my honest review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Comments

Giveaway: Charlie Church Mouse Super Pak

I received this CD-rom, Charlie Church Mouse Super Pak ($19.99 retail price) which is a 3-game set, including Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Elementary for ages 2-8 from Left Behind Games. I used it once for a review which you can read here . It's still in like-new condition. My youngest child is 9 so I just want to bless another family who has a younger child(ren). At the same time, you would be helping me, too :). Thanks, everyone, who enters my giveaway! To Enter (required) : Click here to rate my book review of Primal by Mark Batterson. You'll need to enter your email address and then click the link in the email they send you after you rank my review in order to verify your email address; otherwise, your vote doesn't count. Please leave a comment here after you verify your email address. Deadline: May 31st at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time)/8:59 p.m. (Pacific time) This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Extra entries: 1. Click here to rate my other book revie

When Calls the Heart Season 2 Premiere Review plus Giveaway

UPDATE : The giveaway is over. The winner (randomly chosen using random.org) is Karen Lossing ("Victorianlady8"). Congratulations to Karen! Thanks, everyone, for entering my giveaway! About the series: The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian West. “When Calls the Heart” tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher’s wealthy

DVD Review and Giveaway: A Mile in His Shoes

A Mile in His Shoes is a family-friendly movie (PG) about a young man diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) and how his God-given talent (his amazing throwing ability) helps him and others. It's about overcoming challenges in life. It is based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" (a true story). It's directed by William Dear, the director of "Angels In the Outfield." It stars Dean Cain who plays Arthur Murphy, a baseball coach and Luke Schroder who plays Mickey, the main character. Excellent performances! My family and I enjoyed this movie. It spoke to my heart deeply because one of my kids has symptoms that are similar to Asperger's Syndrome but the doctors diagnosed him with anxiety disorder, instead. My son is very athletic and great with numbers like Mickey. He is also sensitive to noise and crowds like Mickey. When Coach Murphy sees Mickey (a farmer boy) throw apples at a bucket for his pigs, he knows that he has just fo

Fruitbearers

Search This Blog