‘Ragged Heart’ by duo Silver Lake 66 defines what modern-day Americana music is. Taking its influences from classical country music, folk and a little bit of blues, it falls into similar realms as The Civil Wars. The ten-track LP by the duo, Maria Francis and Jeff Overbo, mainly focuses on hope and resilience, inspired by Francis’ improved health after the trials of being diagnosed and then overcoming thyroid cancer.
The strongest song on the album is the title track ‘Ragged Heart’ which tells the story of wanting to run back to someone you once loved, saying if you had the opportunity to see them again you would do it in a heartbeat – but instead of focusing on the negative, the bittersweet song has an upbeat almost honky-tonk vibe to it. The lyrics are undeniably catchy: “You never told me life would be easy/You didn’t tell me I would get the blues/My ragged heart can’t wait any longer If I had the chance/ I’d run right back to you.” You’d be hard pushed to find a better song on this album.
The album is worth a listen, the duo works well together and it promises for more and better for the future.
