The husband-and-wife duo is a rarity in country music. Besides Joey+Rory, I can only name two off the top of my head: Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan ("Tennessee Bird Walk") and the Wrights. Perhaps that's where Joey+Rory's niche is: with only a third-place finish on Can You Duet and a mere #30 peak from debut single "Cheater, Cheater," the duo's first album (The Life of A Song) achieved critical acclaim and sales in excess of 200,000 copies. Surely, they're doing something right. 

The self-referential title track draws you in right away. Set against a loping steel-and-fiddle melody out of the late-eighties neo-trad wave, it offers up charming lyrics such as "The critics are all waiting / To see if we come through / We'd sure appreciate it / If you bought album number two." It's tongue-in-cheek and heartfelt at the same time (especially when they shout out to the fans), a combination that's really hard to pull off. And if you thought that was the only self-reference, think again. "Baby I'll Come Back to You" may be yet another twist on the "when Hell freezes over" trope, but it at least offers a few cute, funny lyrics — not the least of which is "when we sell a million copies of Album Number Two." Yet more humor crops up late on the album, in the song "You Ain't Right." Although a couple lines appear to be culled from Jeff Foxworthy jokes ("If you're standing in a checkout line / Something reeks and you just smile"), it's just cute, mindless fun and it sounds good. 

Next is "That's Important to Me," which Joey first recorded on her solo album Strong Enough to Cry. Here, things from paying the bills to praying at the table, from planting a garden to listening to country music, are listed off as being important. Even though it's a list song, it still carries a great deal of sincerity, not to mention a couple great Dobro solos. Similarly, the "All You Need Is Me" lists off cowboy tropes from Skoal rings to George Strait, but it pays off with the hook alone, never mind the fast-paced, bluegrass melody. Continuing with the tuneful promises of love is "Born to Be Your Woman," which offers "I was born to be your woman / And you were made to be my man" as a simple declaration of love and pulls it off in spades. When Rory joins in on the second verse, he sounds every bit as true and country as the crying steel and fiddle behind him. 

And what country album is complete without some farm imagery? "The Horse Nobody Could Ride" uses the obvious enough imagery of a wild horse to describe a free-spirited girl… not surprisingly, a young man is finally able to tame her and everything ends on a happy note. "Farm to Fame" chronicles a farm boy who plays at bars and lucks his way into a prominent record deal, but then his star fades and he's back driving his old car down Music Row, trying to come back. Many songs focus on the rise (such as Travis Tritt's "I'm Gonna Be Somebody," a personal favorite of mine), but so few focus on the fall. As someone who wants to get his foot in the door someday myself, I honestly don't mind hearing others mention the downside. 

God shows up in one song title, and Jesus in another. "God Help My Man" finds the woman hoping that her man was just in a small accident and not foolin' around. Here, she hopes that the number in his pocket is lottery numbers; otherwise, he's getting a frying pan upside the head. In "Where Jesus Is," bare-bones, impromptu places of worship are illustrated as being a place were Jesus is. Indeed, even if only two are three are gathered, Jesus is there. 

Rory takes a lead vocal on "My Ol' Man," a sincere and loving tribute to, well, a dad. Has it been done many, many times before? Yes; I reviewed an almost identically-titled song by Frank Ortega only last week. But this one has even more depth by telling a story; here, the son leaves for a world of his own with a bag full of songs and his guitar, and of course, the old man dies. 

Zac Brown co-wrote the final track, "This Song's for You," which features a guest appearance from Zac and his band. Although it certainly has great intentions to unify all the different people of this country in one song, it tries a little too hard with its references to "fat cats on Wall Street" and "eight honest hours." What's more, the melody sometimes sounds like an advertising jingle, despite some fine harmonies from all parties involved. 

There's an everyman quality and a warmth to both voices that makes every song appealing in some way. Although Joey's slightly Patty Loveless-esque twang carries most of the weight, it's certainly hard to ignore the prominent harmonies that Rory provides. With very simple, clean, uncluttered production, it almost feels like Joey+Rory are just sitting on their porch and singing, and I get the impression that's what they and producer Carl Jackson were after. Despite the lack of hit (radio) singles, Joey+Rory seem to have a great deal of recognition in the industry. Here's to many more years, both in their marriage and their musical career.

You can support Joey+Rory by purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.

If you prefer your music to be more than ones and zeroes you can pick up the CD at Amazon.