House & Garden

An old-fashioned love of nature and traditional ways runs through House & Garden. This duo’s tunes have an almost Victorian patina about them, bringing to mind The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and similar icons of early country music. Robinson’s honeyed vocal tones (reminiscent of Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris) are closely matched with Nunally’s plaintive twang. Nunally demonstrates the deft acoustic-guitar touch that won him a spot in the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, reeling off some especially fancy picking in “Southwind.” Images of changing seasons and cycles of the heart give the album a lyrical unity, whether the mood is contemplative (“Life in the Garden”), playful (“April Fool”), or delicately poetic (“The Gardener”). Vocally, Robinson veers from the cloistered purity of “My Soul” to the teasing bluesiness of “Complicated,” while Nunally projects a wistful presence in “Happy to Go” and “Pen in Hand.” Lovingly rendered covers of George Jones’ “Old Old House,” Dolly Parton’s “My Blue Tears,” and Carl Smith’s “Loose Talk” complement the originals.