JUBILATION:

The War and Treaty rose slowly and then all at once. Tanya Trotter (then Tanya Blount) released her solo album on Polydor way back in 1994, but it didn't capture her remarkable vocal ability and didn't go anywhere. Michael Trotter Jr. served in Iraq, using his gifts to console and inspire fellow soldiers. The two met up, formed a band (and, not inconsequentially, got married) and in 2017 put out an EP. They followed that up with 2018's stunning Healing Tide, which only came out of nowhere if, like most of us, you didn't realize how long the stew had simmered. Since then, they've rapidly gained attention, appearing at the Grand Ole Opry and this year's CMAs. Their early broad take on Americana has become increasingly refined and accessible. With Lover's Game (produced by Dave Cobb), they find peak professionalism without sanding off too many of their edges.

Between Healing Tide and 2020's Hearts Town, the band became a little smoother, moving toward broadly appealing pop. They haven't lost their country roots, and perhaps nothing in their catalog makes that point quite like "Yesterday's Burn." The classic country duet lets both artists show off their vocals and skillful harmonizing. The song segues nicely into the ballad "That's How Love Is Made." The first song showed the healing power of new love while the next one covers the difficult reality of a relationship. The Trotters recognize the work necessary to keep a connection strong, accepting the challenges as well as the joys. It removes the idealism of many love songs without losing the possibility of transcendence.

That kind of idea drives much of the War and Treaty's art. 

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