The Honey Dewdrops

Doing anything intensive with a spouse, be it redecorating a house or traveling the world, requires a saintly level of patience. Making a record ― wherein the outcome may not be predetermined or easily foreseeable ― must be a greater challenge than most couples could easily handle. But the Honey Dewdrops (the husband/wife duo of Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish) have done it thrice now, and their success is as much a testament to fidelity as it is to great songwriting. Their closest approximation in style may be Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (who aren't a romantic couple), but while that duo have built up a more enviable catalogue, the Dewdrops place greater emphasis on their harmony, swapping lead vocal duties and perspectives accordingly. On their third album, Silver Lining, Parrish offers a man's practical perspective on a relationship with "One Kind Word" ("I don't want everything I see/I just the little bit you promised me"), which is countered by Wortman's more fanciful view of romance on "Silver Lining" ("You're just like a silver lining in a cloud that don't look good/you're always winding through the sky"). Such contrasts appear throughout. This is traditional music for adults, which doesn't sound very fun, but while they lack youthful energy, the Honey Dewdrops' songs aren't weighed down by the heaviness of aging. They draw strength for their stability and anyone not currently suffering from lovesickness should appreciate that feeling.