Review Summary: such a pleasant surprise
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day fame partnered up with Grammy-winning jazz/pop artist Norah Jones to record an album covering The Everly Brothers’ 1958 cover album, “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.” Just let that sink in for a moment. That actually happened. A collection of stripped down, quasi-rockabilly, country standards from the heart of the 20th century are far from what you’d expect in a release from Armstrong or Jones on their own; but not in a blue moon did anyone expect the two artists to create such a record together. Once we all move past our immediate stages of shock, surprise, and confusion, we may indulge in Foreverly, an album that is nothing short of delightful.
Though not an exact replica of the 1958 Everly Bros record, Foreverly contains the same twelve songs – only they are ordered differently, and have been tinkered with to produce fresh and original versions of tunes which have been recorded by a large variety of artists over the years. The final result is an aesthetic both nostalgic and new, as well as a perfect opportunity to pay homage to the Everly Bros’ renowned vocal harmonies. At first listen to the album’s opener, “Roving Gambler”, it is nearly impossible to realize who is actually singing. Armstrong sounds so natural singing these country tunes, as he puts his nasal punk wails on the shelf and takes out of his back pocket the soft, clean, folksy crooner voice that has only been hinted at in Green Day’s short list of softer songs. Jones, however, expectedly and thankfully offers the familiar and ever-so-sweet voice that has had the gift of making any collaboration (Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Dave Grohl to name a few) sound good. Together, the singers have a natural chemistry and flawlessness, not far from pairs like The Civil Wars, Sonny & Cher, and even (dare I say) Lennon/McCartney.
The songs themselves are simple and predictable, which isn’t a bad thing in a project of this sort. Giving honoring The Everly Bros, the songs remain true to their roots. Few songs stand out significantly above the rest, as they are all quite good. One particular highlight, “Long Time Gone”, which is Jones’ personal favorite on the record, boasts one of the more memorable vocal melodies on the record. Another highlight is the slow-building, familiar tune: “I’m Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail”, in which Jones takes the melody, with Armstrong joining in vocally only when necessary. The track is one of the longer on the record (which is still only four and a half minutes), yet flows naturally with additions of banjo, drums, and violin as it tells the story which the title describes. The overall tempo of the album is, in fact, a bit slow, as one would expect from a collection of old country songs, but the manipulation of the song order helps to balance the tempos; the album’s first single, “Silver Haired Daddy of Mine”, and Latin-infused “Kentucky” add a healthy amount of speed to the record.
Not much more needs to be said about this album. Foreverly is a pleasant surprise to all music fans, as two successful artists from two completely different musical worlds team up to pay tribute to American legends The Everly Brothers. An overall successful collaboration, neither artist takes the spotlight, but rather the pair works together vocally and instrumentally (as both artists largely contributed an assortment of instruments to the recordings) to craft what may very well become an award-winning album.
Highlights:
Long Time Gone
I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
Roving Gambler
Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
