Music Reviews

Steel Magnolia – ‘Steel Magnolia’ – Album Review

By Patrick Luce Dec 20, 2010, 14:55 GMT

Country duo Steel Magnoilia’s self-titled debut might be a little more pop than traditional country, but the album’s tunes keep the mood light and entertaining. The duo has incredible chemistry on every track, and they easily win you over on the album’s first listen.

Steel Magnolia is made up of Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey and broke big when they won season two of CMT’s talent show “Can You Duet.” The two were a hit with the judges and the fans thanks to their energy and performance style.

Those same elements are found in the duo’s album with its first track “Ooh La La” setting a fast and light pace followed by their hit single “Keep On Lovin’ You.” The duo (who wrote seven of the 12 tracks on the album) has a sound that is a blend of pop, blues, rock and country. It keeps the album enjoyable – even if it isn’t your personal favorite taste of country music.

The duo shows their chemistry on ballads like “Just By Being You (Halo and Wings)” and “Not Tonight.” Although most tracks see Jones and Linsey sharing vocal ability equally, “Bulletproof” showcases the bluesy power of Linsey’s incredible voice while “Glass House” demonstrates Jones can fit into a more traditional country sound as comfortably as his rocking ability.

Having caught videos for “Keep On Lovin’ You” and “Just By Being You (Halo and Wings),” I was interested to hear what Jones and Linsey did on the complete album, and the two singer/songwriters quickly won me over to their sound. Most of the songs keep a light tone and you have to love tracks like “Eggs Over Easy,” but they also find depth in slower tunes like Jones’ “Glass House.”

Steel Magnolia’s self-titled debut is a great start for the duo and will easily win fans to their sound and style. I am looking forward to seeing where they go from here, and recommend giving the album a listen.

'Steel Magnolia' will be released Jan. 11th. Visit the music database for more information.