The Cactus Blossoms
Album: The Cactus Blossoms
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.thecactusblossoms.com

In the 21st Century it is perhaps considered either old-fashioned or, at best, a pastiche for a debut album of new country music to be in a Hank Williams vein. The fact that two brothers from Minneapolis in their mid-20s can not only create an ode to times forgotten but to put their own stamp on it pays strong testament to their songwriting ability.

If you were to put this album on and ask a casual music fan when it was written then the chances are that they wouldn't be able to tell this apart from the early country radio hits of the 1940s and 50s. The brothers mentioned above, Page Burkum and Jack Torrey, wrote eight of the albums ten tracks which demonstrate a maturity beyond their years. The major focus and strength of their work lies in the beautiful vocal harmonising that is present on every track. This style follows in the great country trait of brotherly harmonies from the Louvin Brothers to the Everlys and the Cactus Blossoms are the latest good old boys in town throwing their (cowboy) hats into the ring. (It's also worth noting that the Cactus Blossom album cover is very similar to some of those classic country covers from the 1950s!)

If alt.country was the way this genre was headed in the 90s/2000s then this album may be bringing things back full circle with it's traditional, back-to-basics approach. Pedal steel, fiddle, double bass and acoustic guitars are the foundations on which many great country records were built and the Cactus Blossoms know how to build a pretty strong house.

Adios Maria is a perfect example of the intertwining of these elements coupled with the aforementioned vocal harmonies. It goes to show that no matter how many times you hear about love or the way it feels to have your heart broken, if it is told with passion, it never gets old.

The Cactus Blossoms were the winners of a competition in 2010 which propelled them to a larger audience and if their songwriting can remain this strong on subsequent releases and they persevere there is no reason why this won't grow and grow like the resilient flowers they are named after.

Simon Ridley