The Wreckers "Stand Still, Look Pretty"

Michelle Branch came onto the scene at a time when teen pop ruled and most artists just danced around to tracks they had no hand in creating and did the exact opposite. At the same time, another unknown, Jessica Harp, was struggling to get her own record deal. The two became aware of eachother through fans who noticed the similarities between their voices and commented on this. They soon struck up a friendship that has become a musical partnership. It's true, Branch and Harp are almost indistiguishable from eachother in their songs and their voices blend well when they sing together (which they do for the majority of the tracks, trading lead vocals here and there).

Artistically, this disc is a step up from Branch's previous solo work. You can see a definite growth lyrically. The happy, upbeat songs they marked Branch's debut are long gone here, replaced by a new found maturity and touches of bitterness. She and Harp even sing about killing an abusive man in the track "Crazy People", which has an old school country vibe to it. Another track, "My oh My", is an upbeat pop/country song on the surface, but the lyrics portray a woman who has been jaded and now looks back at her younger years with longing as she recalls the days when "Songs were long and gas was cheap, No cell phones and water was free. Daddy paid and I never had to worry". In the track "Tennesse", penned by Harp, the duo sings about getting caught up in something new to the point where you throw away the things of value that you already had and regretting it. The song has a slow tempo and soft music that fits the introspective lyrics. Another great track, "Rain", was written by Branch and is a moody song about being stuck in a bad relationship, and wondering why things are the way they are but not being able to do anything to change it.

Already, this disc has done well commercially and the Wreckers have been given alot of positive press in the country world, so if you're a fan of the country genre, you should have this record. Only time can tell, but I'm sure the Wreckers will continue to grow and make music together for years to come.