Since big brother Steve first recruited her to sing backing on 1991’s The Hard Way, Stacey Earle’s gradual career curve has included two unadorned solo albums (1999’s Simple Gearle and 2000’s Dancin’ With Them That Brung Me) before finally sharing centre stage with ‘im indoors, Mark Stuart, on 2001’s Must Be Live. This new offering is simply the best thing either have ever done. Stuart’s classic country voice meshes with Earle’s honeyed purr superbly, but it’s the bold instrumentation that truly glows. “Spread Your Wings” is a gleeful ragtime jaunt; “If You Want My Love” and “Cry Night After Night” mint-fresh excursions into classic Western swing.
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