Austin singer/songwriter duo Hardened and Tempered (a.k.a. Kristin Davidson and Carolyn Phillips) follow-up their 2017 digital release The Trailer Sessions with Hold the Line – a beautiful album filled with lush harmonies, twangy instrumentation, and vivid personal and poetic storytelling about holding on to hope during hard times. Hold the Line was produced by Lloyd Maines (The Flatlanders, Wayne Hancock) who also played guitar and bass on the album alongside Pat Manske (vocals, drums) and Kristin Davidson (vocals, guitar, keyboards). Standout tracks include: the dusty flamenco guitar-influenced opening track “Counting the Cars”; the harmony-heavy “Breaker, Breaker”; the politically driven “The Republican River”; the twangy “Crossroads”; the lazy paced New Orleans tinged “Beer Bottles and Broken Hearts”; the folky dancehall number “When the Harvest Comes”; and the lively country rhythms of the closing track “Wide Awake At Midnight.” Hardened and Tempered’s Hold the Line release is a solid album from these up-and-coming talents.– Written by JFelton
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