Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
The Rest Of Our Life
Sony
Though Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s duets album has mostly slipped under the radar, it’s one of my favourite albums of 2017.
Country music’s golden couple McGraw and Hill has proven that their chemistry as a couple translates well into music sales, with duets like It’s Your Love and Let’s Make Love becoming country love classics in the past.
There’s more of that – 11 new tracks to be exact – in the full-fledged duets album, The Rest Of Our Life.
I love the fact that the songs are written as duets, allowing for numerous spine-chilling vocal moments which see their voices blending oh so beautifully.
The title track in particular, about asking your lover to be your forever person, boasts a sweet, sentimental message and impeccable vocal harmonies.
Break First is another standout track. Not only is it cleverly written – a song about two people in a room who are obviously into each other but they’re both playing hard to get – McGraw and Hill effectively capture the song’s coy, flirtatious narrative.
Lyrically, the album runs the gamut of typical relationship phases, from passionate first encounters to ugly break-ups.
Still, I didn’t expect to find this pertinent but seldom talked-about topic: death and what that means to the lover left behind.
Sleeping In The Stars is a bittersweet number about a dying lover bidding farewell to the love of his life (or loved ones at large) and promising to watch over them from the heavens.
Another stellar track is Speak To A Girl, which encourages listeners to speak to the women in our lives with utmost honesty and respect. This important message rides on a melody that’s catchy enough for commercial success.
The rest of the album is rife with songs that have strong melodic hooks and effective songwriting.
Ultimately, the album works because McGraw and Hill put aside their own musical stylings as soloists and come together to form a new brand of music.
Listening to The Rest Of Our Life, you get the impression that they’re a duo, not just duet partners.
