Among the Oak & Ash

Josh Joplin and Garrison Starr have enjoyed a measure of success as solo singer/songwriters, but their debut as the duo Among the Oak & Ash suggests they may want to combine their talents permanently. This mostly-traditional folk collection is a lean, tightly focused effort that finds new vitality within even the most familiar tunes. Somewhat in the mode of Billy Bragg, Joplin and Starr bring out the relevance in time-honored ballads like “Hiram Hubbard,” “Peggy-O,” and “The Housewife’s Lament.” There’s a hint of early R.E.M. in their crisply rocking treatments of “Joseph Hillström 1879-1915” and “Angel Gabriel.” Though they sing in close harmony for much of the album, each gets moments in the spotlight – Joplin turns in a tender reading of “Pretty Saro,” while Starr shows some unexpected bite on “Come All You Young & Tender Ladies.” “High, Low & Wide,” an original, carries the pang of a classic Appalachian lament. A rambunctious remake of the Smiths’ “Bigmouth Strikes Again” proves oddly successful. Within these tracks is the sense of two veteran artists getting in touch with something primal and honest.