Hensley Sturgis – Open Lanes

As the name suggests, Barry Hensley and Jason Sturgis each wrote and sang lead on half of this disc’s twelve songs. While you might think this would result in a schizophrenic record, Open Lanes is remarkably cohesive. Both halves of the Columbus, Ohio, duo tend to write relationship songs (typically of the troubled variety) filled with smartly observed lyrics. In “Scribble”, Sturgis describes a romantic loser who would “bite off the hand that feeds you and wear it like a charm,” while Hensley portrays a man who would “fall back like a washed-up comic desperate for a laugh” in “I Fall Back”.

The two men, however, basically have distinct styles. The hookier, poppier songs, such as the warmly inviting “The Ride”, tend to be written by Hensley, formerly of Big Back Forty. Sturgis, with his huskier, cigarette-thick vocals, steers toward sparer, more rural-sounding tunes (such as “What’s The Matter Now”, which also showcases Hensley’s pedal steel work). Still, songs such as “End Of Me” and the Silos-like “Laid Low” show that Sturgis can roughen up his sound.

Together, the twosome’s songs make for a snag-free fit; Hensley’s roots-pop punch complements Sturgis’ doleful country-rock. While there are occasional lapses into cliched lyrics, the duo demonstrates that, by teaming up, they can play to their strengths and create a very appealing slice of Americana.