Striking Matches - Nothing But the Silence (2015) 320 / Lossless

STRIKING MATCHES is a guitar-wielding duo of Sarah Zimmerman and Justin Davis who also share vocals duties. While their debut album Nothing But The Silence fits in with today s commercial country scene, it also stands out from the rest of the pack with its driving rhythms and simple yet artful production. Helmed by super-producer T BONE BURNETT, the album is designed to showcase the compelling harmonies, honest lyrics and innovative guitar playing that makes them such a compelling live duo. That live aspect has allowed them to share stages not only with Nashville stars like Hunter Hayes and Vince Gill but also to wow non-country audiences, opening for artists like Train and John Hiatt. The album occupies that sweet spot at the intersection of country, pop, rock and blues, where all of the elements blend to form an authentically raw and rootsy sound that has a timeless appeal across genres and demos. They wrote or co-wrote all 11 songs and that songwriting has already been showcased extensively as they ve had no less than 9 songs performed on the ABC hit drama NASHVILLE including two that they perform on the album: When the Right One Comes Along and the first country radio single Hanging on a Lie.