The first words out of Emily Robison's mouth--"What am I doing here?"--are certainly appropriate for Court Yard Hounds' self-titled debut. Sister duo Robison and Martie Maguire might have confused a few fans by spinning off from their usual Dixie Chicks gig. But that will likely stop once they get an earful of the familiar, harmony-laden pop-country hybrid on this 12-song set. But that's not to say "Court Yard Hounds" simply recasts the Dixie Chicks' melodic virtues. For starters, Robison, who sings lead on 11 of the tracks, is a subtler vocalist and lyricist than her absent bandmate Natalie Maines. Robison and Maguire prove capable of crafting galloping, catchy choruses for such songs as "The Coast," "Ain't No Son," "It Didn't Make a Sound" and "I Miss You." The sibling duo mines a bit of psychedelia on the track "Delight (Something New Under the Sun)" and blues flavors for the Sheryl Crow-like "Then Again," while Maguire's richly arranged "Gracefully" and the rootsy "See You in the Spring" (a duet with Jakob Dylan) offer well-deployed changes of pace. --Gary Graff
-
Hot 100
Gotye tops again
-
Billboard 200
Adam Lambert rules
-
Dance/Club Songs
Karmin's 'Brokenhearted' rises
-
Digital Songs
Carly Rae Jepsen scores
-
Soundtracks
The 'Glee' cast rocks it
-
Social 50
Rihanna is social queen
-
Dance/Electronic Albums
Skrillex nabs No. 1
-
Country Albums
Carrie Underwood blows us away
-
Rock Albums
Tenacious D 'Rizes' to the top
-
Rap Albums
Nicki Minaj takes the top spot
Court Yard Hounds, "Court Yard Hounds"
More Features
All features
All of Billboard.com's Great Lists
Billboard chart app
Billboard archives
© Billboard. All rights reserved.
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © Rovi Corporation.
Thanks For Joining Billboard
Log in to create your profile, speak your mind and connect with listeners like you.
Haven't Joined Yet ?
For the full Billboard experience, you need to be a member. Sign up. It's free.
Forgot your password?
Enter the e-mail address you used to sign up and we will email you the password .
Email Sent !
Your password has been sent to the email address you provided. Please sign in below :
Log In
Action Successful
We'd love to hear your feedback on the new Billboard.com!
Whether it's a feature request or a bug
We want to hear from you. Please use this form to anonymously give us your input.
Up for Discussion