By Brian Rock
Dynamic husband and wife duo, The War And Treaty, dish out a heaping helping of their Soul-infused Americana on their fourth full double length album, Plus One. Michael and Tanya Trotter bring their high energy, larger than life vocal stylings to these eighteen tracks that grab hold of you from the beginning and don’t let go till the last note fades.
“Love Like Whiskey” starts the album with a blaring horn section and a Stax inspired rhythm section striking bold, major chord progressions. The song feels triumphant right out of the gate. But Michael defies the mood by singing, “I’ve been sleeping on the couch all week.” A few bars later Tanya sings, “I wanna hear him knock – knock – knocking, hanging his head; begging his way back into this bed.” Clearly there is trouble in paradise. But the chorus reminds us to remember the permanent love despite the temporary problems, as both sing in unison: “But I’ll still walk through the fire. And I’ll kneel down in the pouring rain. All my walls go down when you kiss me. Baby, we got a love like whiskey.” The soaring refrain is an indication of the sunshine that comes after the storm. “Love Is On Fire,” is another feel good soul/country fusion that manages to bring bluegrass banjo and Soul guitar together in perfect harmony. “Mr. Fun,” takes a noir turn into the blues/soul stylings of Amy Winehouse and Eli “Paperboy” Reed. “Save Me,” and “Stealing a Kiss,” exude a polished, 1990’s R&B vibe.
Switching to ballads, Michael and Tanya undergo a remarkable vocal transformation. On “Carried Away,” Michael morphs from Al Green to Willie Nelson in his vocal delivery. Likewise, Tanya is equal parts Aretha Franklin and Miranda Lambert. The instrumentation even manages to blend soulful Hammond organ with sprinkles of western banjo. The combined effect is a tender declaration of love that transcends genres or labels. You can feel the passion in their voices as they declare, “Angels might become demons once you give in – I might get carried away.” Knowing the risks, they nevertheless jump head first into the tumultuous waters of love. You can feel the intensity as they let the tides of love sweep them away. “Home,” and “Leads Me Home,” both express the feeling of comfort and warmth from finding where you belong in the embrace of your lover’s arms. “Reminisce,” and “Teardrops In The Rain,” combine an elegant Motown inspired string section with a gentle, countrypolitan rhythm. Not content to just merge soul and country, The War And Treaty continue to push genre boundaries on the Celtic/gospel of, “Glorious Ones.” They combine Gospel and swampy country blues on, “Can I Get An Amen.” They absolutely unload on the Dixieland/soul synergy of, “Called You By Your Name.” They turn the amps all the way to eleven on the gospel-tinged southern rock of, “Tunnel Vision.” They even channel shades of Bela Fleck on the jazz-grass stylings of, “Drink From Me.” Whatever musical styles they weave through or weave together, the one constant is the power of their vocals. Michael and Tanya Trotter are absolutely captivating in their vocal prowess. It’s as if the duet sings with the power of two, Plus One.
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Brian Rock
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