One of the great revelations about CMT’s recently completed “Can You Duet” show was the inclusion of the duo Joey & Rory. A passionately in love couple, Joey & Rory made the final three duo’s of the show but in the current country climate their traditional-country leaning music was never gonna get the attention of big labels. So, they’ll likely go back to doing what they’ve already been doing, self-releasing stuff. Produced by Rory and Tim Johnson, “Strong Enough To Cry” is a self-released album (on Giantslayer Records) that can be found on independent music websites.

With songs written by her husband (and now duet partner) Rory Feek (he wrote hits like “Some Beach” and Crystal Shawanda’s current “You Can Let Go”), Joey instantly shows off her pure country vocals. When listening to tracks like “Nothing To Remember,” “That’s Important To Me” and the title track “Strong Enough To Cry,” it’s not hard to envision Joey as a huge star. “That’s Important To Me” reminds me of a classic Judds hit while “Nothing To Remember” is just a great acoustic story song.

Joey sings the up tempo numbers with equal skill. “That Cowboy’s Mine” has a great danceable beat to it that is pure fun. It reminds me of “Down at the Twist & Shout.” “Red” is uptempo, contemporary and something that could be a big hit if given proper promotion on country music. It’s a new take on the redneck theme but expands on that to say “you’re red, white and blue and country through and through.” It’s a fun summer song. “See You There” may just be the best song on the record. The production is quite pretty while Joey sings a heart wrenching lyric about events that happen in life.

Joey Martin’s “Strong Enough To Cry” album is one of the finest complete albums I’ve heard in quite a long time. It’s something that demands your attention. It’s a record that hopefully, with the recent CMT show appearance, will gain a wider release so it can truly be appreciated.

Want to read about Joey's new CD with her husband Rory? Click: Joey+Rory - The Life Of A Song

To get the album digitally go Joey's website. To buy the physical CD at an online retailer, Overstock.com is the EXCLUSIVE retailer for this album.