The Weeping Willows - You Reap What You Sow (2022)

With “You Reap What You Sow”, Australian duo The Weeping Willows notch another extra point for Gothic Americana.

If ‘You Reap What You Sow,’ the latest (third) album by Melbourne’s duo The Weeping Willows, sounds like it might be leaning towards a sort of gothic Americana which could be anywhere in the grey fields between standard folk and country then you might be on the right track. However, you might be not.

While Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth seem to favour all things traditional both in folk and country, they do add that gauze-like aura that fans of the Cowboy Junkies do (and definitely should) like.

What makes The Weeping Willows sound quite distinctive is their impressive dual vocal lines that start to weave from the opening ‘House of Sin’ to the closing ‘North Wind.’ They give that sweet element that cuts through the thematic darkness on the album and bears the mark of what some would call Gothic Americana.

Another quality that the duo can boast of here is the musicianship and timeless quality of the songs. If it wasn’t for modern studio technology it would be hard to discern where and when these songs were recorded. Part of the reason for this lies in the stellar musical support crew from Brunswick, Australia; Guleph, Canada; Floresville Texas and on to inescapable Nashville (you know where).

Yet it is still Coates and Wrigglesworth’s show and they are on the way to making some serious waves in Americana circles with ‘You Reap What You Sow’.