GENRE: SINGER/SONGWRITER
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2009
RATING: 5 OUT OF 5

The Civil Wars is the brainchild of Christian pop songstress Joy Williams and the very Johnny Depp-esque looking John Paul White. And if their Poison & Wine EP is any indicator, they may be the best singer/songwriter that you’ve never heard of or listened to. Even with all the bands and albums I’ve heard about in the last couple of years, I just heard about them recently through an interview with Seabird’s Ryan Morgan…and then promptly forgot about them. My mistake. Thank God for people tweeting their suggestions for review material.

Anyway…

The Civil Wars’ Poison & Wine EP is a beautiful piece of poetry that speaks the language of so much brokenness dancing with pain and relentless love. It is strangely depressing and oddly hopeful at the same time. Title track “Poison & Wine” tastes of bitterness, longing, frustration, and faith. The lyrics flow over mournful acoustic strumming, “You only know what I want you to/I know everything you don’t want me to/Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine/Oh you think your dreams are the same as mine/Oh I don’t love you but I always will…” These are the kind of lyrics that, melded with the perfect music, will cause a man or woman to weep bitterly and claim, “Those are the words I’ve been looking for, but could never find.” Love and loss held in tension.

“Go” is the most whimsical piece on the album. In the hands of lesser artists, I think it might threaten to throw off the feel of the overall venture. But, given that it is an EP, if one views it as a foretaste of more to come, it is forgivable. But, I don’t see it as a mistake to be forgiven anyway. It conjures visions of running through meadows with dreamlike abandon and flight of the imagination.

“Pressing Flowers” is a fantastic and haunting piece that I could imagine making any number of indie film soundtracks. William’s and White’s voices complement each other perfectly ear, recalling the darker work of Out of the Grey. This is a brooding song about holding one’s secrets and hopes in confidence: “Meet me in the garden where the grass grows tall/Down by the gate/I got a secret that I might tell/It’ll give me a way/Oooooo whatever you do/Oooooo keep it with you…”

“Tip of My Tongue” is what the other songs on this short project seem to build to. Ultimately, love wins. Not some ethereal, fleeting romantic feeling. True love that has been fought for through the tension. The duo sings, “You’re a red string tied to my finger/A little love letter I carry with me/You’re sunlight/Smoke rings and cigarettes/Outlines and kisses for silverscreens…” Again, I cannot comment enough about how stellar the writing is here.

The thing about this album is that the lyrics would be nice as just poetry. It conjures images of a smoky poetry corner, complete with berets, a stool and a spotlight, and snapping fingers. But, at the same time, something would be missing. The music adds a layer of complexity to their words that takes the listener from a state of confusion to a state of their soul being laid bare.

And somewhere amidst this beautiful mess is God…

Review copy provided courtesy of sensibility music.