Creative success can be a pretty overwhelming feat for many an artist. Every note received with praise is like another notch on the belt of expectation and when you are an up-and-coming artist that anticipation has the potential to be pretty daunting. Occasionally, a break from creative forces is just what some artists need to refocus their energy and vision. The Faircloth brothers gained a great deal of momentum when they stepped away from their two-piece band, The Houston Brothers back in 2004. Their hiatus brought the brothers fresh perspective, new band mates, and a promising full length album. Still is a musical diary of sorts; a chronicle of two guys finding their way back to the surface. And while the music itself is a sublime earful of harmony, the words and vocal harmonies linger in the background on many of the songs struggling to match the sophistication of their musical counterparts. “Promises of Gold” is one song on the album that proves The Houstons are more than capable of combining their satisfying sounds with genuinely interesting and musically comparable lyrics. It just would have been nice to see more of that throughout the album’s entirety instead of sprinkled here and there. Regardless of the album’s shortcomings, the real heart of Still is undoubtedly in its unwavering potential.
-- Brigitte B. Zabak
