You+Me, an unlikely folk music duo of Alecia Moore and Dallas Green, penned their debut album “rose ave.” after years of friendship and a desire to make music together.
Many of us would better know Moore as P!nk; the rock pop artist with crazy hair, acrobatic stage shows and a huge voice. She is a Billboard Woman of the Year winner in 2013 and a Grammy award winner for her part in the track “Lady Marmalade”. Her other more famous hits include “Just like a Pill” and “Get the Party Started”, part of the 100 million worldwide sales she has had since the year 2000.
Meanwhile, Dallas Green was part of the post-hardcore five-piece band Alexisonfire, thrashing out a completely different sound to what P!nk had been for the past decade.
In 2011, Dallas left Alexisonfire to make his side project, City and Colour, his main endeavour (Dallas the City; Colour for Green). This acoustic, folk sound was completely different to what he had been performing for most of his career previously. Four albums later, two of which topped the charts in Canada and all going Platinum, City and Colour is famous worldwide and this identity is firmly confirmed as a success.
In an interview for “Time”, Dallas comments on his unlikely pairing with Moore: “My fans are used to me shape-shifting… it’s a surprising collaboration, because you know the two of us by what we’re ‘known for,’ but if you knew our relationship as people and as friends, it’s not surprising at all.”
So changing genre worked for Dallas, and alongside P!nk in her softer, more reflective style, the pair have made this debut album a roaring success.
Green, with his acoustic guitar and flawless vocals, which fans of City and Colour are already gripped by, is perfectly matched by the voice of Moore to create the most incredible harmonies in popular music today. City and Colour fans would instantly recognise the playing style of Green and the lingering, haunting sound of the pedal steel. Moore’s vocals take the lead in many of the tracks, complemented incredibly by Green, but the versatility of the two talents is something special and rare in the current charts, with both taking on remarkable solos across the album.
The album’s stripped down arrangements create a melancholic, intimate atmosphere, in what is a highly personal tracklist that delves into the lives of both artists.
The first single “You and me” is a splendid track showcasing everything the album has to offer. A catchy riff from Green and a pitch-perfect blend of harmonies from the two voices creates an almost trance like delicacy, soft on the ears and a deeply relaxing sound which draws the listener into their own world.
Many of the tracks are somewhat dark, haunting pieces of reflective beauty with adaptable lyrics that appeal to the experiences of all listeners.
Perhaps the most interesting song is “Break the Cycle” which compared to the other nine tracks is heavier with a powerful, dramatic composition of piano, guitar and violin. The inspiration of the song to Moore was her mother, who she had a “strained relationship” with, and despite the cliché, had an upbringing that required a need to “break the cycle”.
Other notable tracks include “Unbeliever” and a cover of Sade’s 1992 track “No Ordinary Love”, which are surprisingly catchy but tenderly considerate to what the album speaks about and the unique sound that it creates.
In a chart that is currently dominated by heavily produced pop tracks that ring around every club in the country, somewhat in the shadows is this masterpiece, which is a must for those in a contemplative mood, looking for a relaxing, deeply soul penetrating sound from “just two singer-songwriters who sat in a room and sang a bunch of songs together.”