“SPEARHEADING a British country boom”, according to the Daily Mail, but don’t let that put you off. Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle are photogenic in a wholesome way, with polished songs that show off their voices.
It blends blue-collar Bedford with Nashville sheen; mercifully without attempting country accents. The emphasis is on big choruses and production that cry out for chart action, the result of collaborating with Tennessee’s songwriting inner circle. While pretty, it is also only superficially engaging, and the duo steer clear of that most enduring element of country music, sincere heartbreak.
Made In England shows off the pair’s potential by adding something new, especially an emotive image of eating fish and chips under cold steel skies. It is a probably a matter of time before the US envelops them with a dollar-filled caress. Before then catch them at Pocklington Arts Centre on April 22.
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