Hanna-McEuen

1	Fool Around 3:23
2	Blue Sunrise 3:37
3	Read Between the Lies 3:34
4	Something Like a Broken Heart 3:55
5	End of Me 2:36
6	Wild Eyes of Love 2:58
7	Prayer for You 3:48
8	Is It Only Me? 3:58
9	Someone Else 4:06
10	Tell Me 3:16
11	Rock and a Heartache 3:26
12	Ocean 4:09

Barnes & Noble

First cousins and sons of identical twin sisters, Jaime Hanna and Jonathan McEuen are the offspring of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Jeff Hanna and John McEuen, respectively. Both are writers and hotshot guitarists well schooled in twang, a combination resulting in a powerful debut album. The guys have a bent for aching, soaring harmonies that have that blood-kin je ne sais quoi, and an ear for a big, spacious sound rich in twangy guitar lines and robust organ fills amid a pounding rhythm section -- it suggests a cross between Steve Earle's Guitar Town and any Foster & Lloyd album. A wrenching story of lost love, "Blue Sunrise" has an epic magnitude, heightened by foreboding guitar lines and urgent vocalizing. "Read Between the Lies" is a honky-tonk ballad dressed up with rock thrust, and its instrumental and vocal turmoil is right on the mark to nail a cheatin' woman right between the deceptions. A captivating, atmospheric shuffle, "Is It Only Me" cuts a relentless path cleared by pedal steel, acoustic piano, trebly guitars, and silky-smooth, slightly malevolent harmonizing as the singer muses over an old lover's misgivings, or lack thereof, over a failed love affair. This is songwriting of the first order, but if the fellows seem rather stuck on failed relationships and broken hearts, well, give them credit for not holding back in writing what they must know. A tip of the hat as well to producer James Stroud for shaping a soundscape that captures the grandeur of the heartache described herein. Like their fathers before them, Jaime and Jonathan seem destined for a long, honorable run. David McGee

All Music Guide

Jaime Hanna and Jonathan McEuen are the offspring of two founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and, in a neat twist of fate that's stranger than fiction, they're also first cousins, since their fathers married twin sisters. They would be noteworthy for their pedigree and their back story, which is at least worth a few column inches, yet that story also throws up some red flags, suggesting that they may only be of interest because of their family tree. Thankfully, their debut, Hanna-McEuen, is noteworthy for another reason: it's a hell of a record, one of the best debuts of 2005. It's one of the few contemporary country records that fully integrates the clever classicism of '80s insurgent country (the opening "Fool Around" is a dead ringer for prime Dwight Yoakam) into a bright, accessible mainstream sound. And make no mistake about it, Hanna-McEuen are not an alt-country or Americana act: they may be inspired by the same artists and sounds, from classic country through Gram Parsons and Bruce Springsteen, but this isn't as somber and earnest as much alternative country of the late '90s and early 2000s. Hanna-McEuen have an infectious, friendly vibe that's as warm and appealing as their strong, melodic songs (all 12 tunes are originals), which are hooky enough to be memorable upon the first listen and sturdy enough to get better with each subsequent spin. While they may recall their influences throughout their eponymous debut, there's a freshness to the duo's music that keeps the album from sounding stale or overly reverential. Instead, Hanna-McEuen sound like they're true heirs to a classic American country-rock tradition, making familiar music sound new and vital again. Certainly, it's in their blood, but the wonderful thing about this debut is that it's good enough to make you forget their back story and just enjoy what this tremendously talented duo has to offer. Stephen Thomas Erlewine