The Cactus Blossoms vs. the Everly Brothers: Same Sound, Different Duo
The Everly Brothers reincarnated? Or merely reinvented? The Cactus Blossoms could easily convince the pundits either way. This sibling duo sound every bit like their famous predecessors in both their delivery and choice of material. They emulate the Everlys so convincingly, a novice would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Jack Torrey and Page Burkum may not share the same last name, but as brothers, they’re blessed with a gift for spot-on harmonies. Their songs, which veer from the tenderest of ballads to a sound akin to a honky-tonk revival, mine an archival approach.
Written mostly by Torrey, these tracks appear ageless even on an initial listen. Songs like “Stoplight Kisses,” “You’re Dreaming,” and “Powder Blue” would certainly have found the Louvin Brothers nodding their approval, while finding favored status in the classic country firmament.
No small wonder then that JD McPherson produced You’re Dreaming, the brothers’ ultra-impressive debut. Wisely, he didn’t clutter the arrangements with unnecessary garnish, allowing the brothers’ voices to take the spotlight atop melodies that flow in a seamless sway. Their tenderest tunes dominate this set, and given Torrey and Burkum’s combined vocal caress, it’s all too apt. They encourage the listener to lean in, with results that are simply sublime.
“Not everyone could tell what was new and what was old, and it didn’t really matter,” they assert on their website, describing the crowd reaction at their first club residency in their hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. “People just seemed to enjoy it. That’s when the wheel got going and gave the illusion of spinning backwards. We weren’t born in the wrong era. We just got into some music from a different era and found a way to make it our own.”
That’s an ideal description for music that reveres the past and yet finds a place for it in the present. Even this early on, the Cactus Blossoms are clearly in full bloom.