The Hummingbirds ’13 Days’

Words by Keith Hadad

On 13 Days, The Hummingbirds breathe a new wild energy into Americana music, keeping certain traditional sounds alive while also giving their own, unique spin on the genre.

Comprised of husband-wife duo, Rachel and S.G. Wood, The Hummingbirds play amazingly catchy, swaying country folk songs that are oftentimes equal parts rollicking and sultry. Their sound is rich with polished harmonies, twanging mandolins and rustic guitars on top of an assemblage of mournful fiddles, steel slide and drums. In some ways, their songs sound like if Nickel Creek backed The Civil Wars for an overnight barn-stomping session.

One of the standout tracks here would have to be the provocative “Borrow Me.” This song just aches with hazy sensuality. The vocals drip with earnest longing while the waltz-like tempo bumps along with steamy mandolin, subdued electric guitar and brushed drums. Towards the end of the song, a musical saw weeps several woeful notes, casting a slightly eerie shadow over the song’s romantic subject matter.

From the rowdy title track and “Horses & Rattlesnakes” to the gorgeously stripped down and somber “Fast Love,” The Hummingbirds proved that they are a strong, vastly gifted and distinctive voice in the worlds of country, folk and roots music.