Michelle Branch has teamed up with friend and Missouri-based singer-songwriter, Jessica Harp, to form The Wreckers, producing a sound similar to Branch's, with a little of Harp's country influences thrown in for good measure.
The Wreckers have been performing in a club tour with Tyler Hilton and up-and-coming Bethany Joy Lenz. They appeared at the Avalon in Boston on March 25 for a sold-out show.
Admittedly, all three acts were shamelessly marketing themselves. Lenz made her CD available for $10 especially for the tour and Branch told the audience she hoped "when you go into a record store this summer and see our album, you'll recognize Stand Still, Look Pretty and think of this night we had together." But that did not take away from their talent and the diversity of the show.
Lenz, who plays Haley Scott on the WB's One Tree Hill, opened the concert on a somewhat shaky note. Lenz tried to invoke a hippie, flower-child vibe on stage, but the result was a disheveled appearance and weak sound. However, her cover of Billy Joel's "Movin' Out" was enjoyable, as was "Crazy Girls."
Hilton, a singer/songwriter whose album "The Tracks of" is in stores now, has an amazing voice, which is reminiscent of John Mayer. He also appears on "One Tree Hill" as Chris Keller.
He shined during the infectious tunes "When It Comes" and "Glad." "Kiss on Me," one of his more upbeat pieces, was another crowd favorite with Hilton crooning, "So, don't you worry who you're kissing on at midnight."
Hilton had great energy and showmanship, but sometimes he tried too hard to be profound with comments like, "This song is about searching for something...something you don't have." As opposed to searching for something we do have?
Lenz and Hilton performed Ryan Adams's "When the Stars Go Blue." Similar to The Corrs' and Bono's 2002 version, the duet developed the piece into a song between lovers. Their voices meshed perfectly to create beautiful harmony during the chorus.
A five-month-pregnant Branch (she and her husband, bassist Teddy Landau, are expecting in early August) looked a little worse for the wear, but still put on a good show with her friend, Harp. The duo played songs from their upcoming album, Stand Still, Look Pretty to be released this June. Branch also performed amazing acoustic versions of her tracks "Goodbye to You" and "Everywhere."
The highlights were "The Good Kind," which is featured on the One Tree Hill soundtrack, "Leave the Pieces," which will be its single, and its album's title track, Stand Still, Look Pretty.
"The Good Kind" has country-inspired lyrics and a hint of twang but also a familiar pop feel: "Do you wanna run away together?"/I would say it was your best line ever/too bad I fell for it/and I walked alone/waiting for you to come along."
Overall, its different musical influences create a great sound and they had an incredible ability to harmonize. On top of that, The Wreckers incorporate some empowering lyrics and the occasional subtle cynicism into its songs. This is epitomized in its title track: "I wish you'd take a walk in my shoes for awhile/You think it's easy being me/Just stand still, look pretty."
Heather Smith, a sophomore at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, said, "It was a pretty good show. The Wreckers have different sound to them; some of their songs almost reminded me of the Dixie Chicks. I'm not sure why Michelle is stepping back from being a solo artist, but she and Jessica sound great together. I'll probably buy the CD once it is released."