The Malpass Brothers Make The Old New Again
To believe Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker and others, nobody wants to listen to new music that sounds old. But to the nobodies that actually prefer their country music to sound like country, thankfully there are still artists and bands around who do their best to keep the music close to the traditions; artists like the North Carolina-based Malpass Brothers.
The story goes that The Malpass Brothers were discovered by Merle Haggard after they played an opening gig for him in North Carolina. “Well they remind me a lot of myself and people that I knew when I was young,” says Merle. “They have their hearts into what we call ‘traditional’ country music. It’s valuable to me that we cultivate young talent for that kind of music.”
And those weren’t just words from Haggard. The brother duo was signed to Merle’s Hag Records from 2008-2013, toured with him regularly, and released an album called Memory That Bad in 2011. But now Chris and Taylor Malpass have moved on to Organic Records, and just released a new, self-titled record produced by bluegrass maestro Doyle Lawson—another legend who saw the duo live and was so impressed, he felt inclined to get involved. Without a shred of contemporary influences or sonic compromising, this new album interprets classic country compositions with dedication and authority, and never wobbles from the charge to keep the traditional sound of country music alive.
The Malpass Brothers have been on the Saving Country Music radar for a while, but the concern was if there was enough originality in what they did to get too excited about it. Their voices are like something uncorked out of a country music time capsule, and the production and arrangement is about as close to classic country perfection as you can get in the modern context. But when the material is mostly cover songs, you tend to carry that fact floating above your head as you consider the music, unlike you might for an outfit like The Secret Sisters, who are great singers as well and take a classic approach to new material.
But listening to this self-titled album, it’s hard to resist the sway of the songs, and the sharpness of these two brothers’ vocal stylings. They don’t call them standards for nothing, and what The Malpass Brothers give up in originality, they make up for in a keen ear for selecting material that fits their style and approach perfectly. Then they sing the bejesus out of the songs until your country music appetite is satiated. The Malpass Brothers are smart in selecting music you may be familiar with but have forgotten about, or that deserves to be heard by a new generation, making their reliance on previously-heard material a little more forgivable.
Most everyone will recognize “Hello Walls,” but “A Death In The Family” is a song that can’t be done enough. Same goes for “I Met A Friend Of Yours Today.” Meanwhile the album does have a few new compositions, though you would never know that by hearing them. I had to double check to make sure Marty Robbins did not originally record “Here In Alberta I’ll Stay,” but it is actually a new song written by Pete Goble. The original “Learn To Love Me Too” has that same eerily familiar aspect, like it was a favorite album cut on an old Merle Haggard record you’d forgotten about.
This album potentially could have used some more mid tempo and fast songs to help string it along. Aside from the rockabilly-esque “It’ll Be Me” once made famous by Jerry Lee Lewis, there is a bevy of slow stuff. But in fairness, the slow pace is the sweet spot of the Malpass drawl. And don’t look at the pictures of vintage duds and get the notion this is a put-on or hipster bit. Beyond their stellar voices, the authenticity of The Malpass Brothers is what emboldens this music with a quality you don’t always get with classic country interpretations.
Trying to keep the traditional sounds of country music alive is a constant war of attrition, and it’s important that young men step up to the fight and help preserve and pay forward the roots of country music. With their self-titled album, The Malpass Brothers do their part and then some.
1 1/2 of 2 Guns Up.
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July 6, 2015 @ 6:52 pm
Learn to Love You Too is on my Playlist
July 12, 2018 @ 6:35 am
Where can I find that song..it is nowhere online. Any kind of help would be much appreciated.
July 6, 2015 @ 6:56 pm
Saw them open up for the Hag a couple years ago. I had been wondering what became of them. Good to see they’re still following the dream! Great duo. Their cover of Mental Revenge is well, well done.
July 6, 2015 @ 7:06 pm
I loved Memory that bad, this is a truly awesome band
July 6, 2015 @ 7:27 pm
I’m going to have to order this, but it sounds interesting.
July 6, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
They really are awesome. I saw them open for Merle Haggard two years ago and was absolutely blown away at the talent. The inclusion of so many covers will probably only render me to give this an “honorable mention” when it comes time for the year end lists, but I’ll be dammed if they don’t own every single song. It takes a lot of guts to record a Hank Williams song but it takes balls to record two AND knock the hell out of them. I believe that their next record will have plenty of original material, and that this album was merely meant to give the listener a glimpse at who The Malpass Brothers are, two young guys proudly bearing the torch for traditional country music.
July 6, 2015 @ 8:02 pm
These guys are great. I loved “Memory That Bad” when it came out.
I tend to agree though about covers, Trigg. They can really be boring if the artist doing them isn’t talented enough to make them worth listening to; which these guys certainly are.
I’m also glad you mentioned the fact that these guys aren’t role playing, the way Daniel Romano does; they are the real thing.
July 6, 2015 @ 8:40 pm
Holy fuck batman!!! These guys are fucking awesome!!!
July 6, 2015 @ 9:27 pm
Beautiful country music. Just the way traditional country should be done. Love it. THIS is why I come to this site. F the debacle that this genre has become. I’ll take this stuff all day long.
July 6, 2015 @ 11:03 pm
them r some serious porkchops the brothers are sporting.
July 7, 2015 @ 3:27 am
I also have seen these young men on stage and could not have enjoyed it more. I wish them the best.
July 7, 2015 @ 5:04 am
Oh man. Those videos had me grinning from ear to ear!
Retro factor aside, these guys have two qualities in their music that put them ahead of the vast majority of radio country and generic Americana too: real music and actual vocal talent. Whatever happened to guys that can actually sing?
Visually, they remind me of a cross between The Wilburn Brothers and Conway Twitty.
You know, these guys should really be on the Grand Ole Opry. Somebody call Pete Fischer.
July 7, 2015 @ 5:06 am
Man, “It’ll Be Me” is a real hot track.
“I don’t see a thing wrong with that.”
Me neither, Doyle.
July 7, 2015 @ 6:14 am
Wow. That’s right in my wheelhouse. Made me think of Faron Young…
July 7, 2015 @ 6:19 am
Saw them open for Merle several years back and then again last week. When I first heard them I almost couldn’t believe it. They’re exactly what modern country music needs and the cover of “Walkin’ The Floor” that they do is one of the greatest covers I’ve ever heard.
July 7, 2015 @ 8:01 am
I think “Walking the Floor” is too dated of a song to be relevant anymore. It’s over 70 years old, and most people today are totally in the dark about the culture and lifestyle back then about which the song was written. It’s a daisy of a song, but I think that it’s gone the way of “Pistol Packin’ Mama” and “The Fields Have Turned Brown.”
July 7, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
While I understand what you’re saying and you make a valid point, I’d have to disagree on it not having relevance. Then again, I tend to listen to music dating as far back as the 1930s so I could be biased but unfortunately most people can’t be bothered to understand any type of lifestyle prior to current times.
July 7, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
I listen to music that old, but I feel that the song describes a lifestyle that is no longer relevant to society at large, so I feel the song has become dated.
July 7, 2015 @ 8:37 am
Real nice.
July 7, 2015 @ 9:02 am
My God. I just watched their “promo” video on youtube. Those boys are country! And I am not just talking about music. I live in deep South Georgia and those accents might even be considered backwoods down here. But I love it! Don’t hear guys like that much anymore. Interested in hearing some of their original material now.
July 7, 2015 @ 9:06 am
I was wondering the same thing about their accents. The deepest drawls I hear these days tend to be from backwoods parts of WV and KY.
July 8, 2015 @ 4:21 am
Yeah, I noticed that too.
Thickest Southern accents I’ve heard in a while. And they ain’t fakin’ it either, unlike certain other country artists I could mention. *cough* Justin Moore. *cough*
July 7, 2015 @ 9:06 am
Great album. I have listened to over and over again.
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July 7, 2015 @ 10:23 am
[…] Saving Country Music overcame some initial reservations to give the new self-titled album by country classicists The Malpass Brothers 1½ of 2 guns up. […]
July 7, 2015 @ 11:10 am
I heard these guys a few years back when they opened for Merle Haggard. They are awesome, good to see them getting some notice on here!
July 7, 2015 @ 2:25 pm
These guys are the BEST!!! Have seen them numerous times & they get better everytime I see them. Not just great musicians & singers, but really good guys!!!
July 7, 2015 @ 6:34 pm
I am so excited to see ALL these awesome compliments about The Malpass Brothers, Chris and Taylor. I am from their home town in NC and have watched them grow and develop their music and talent over the years. I have never seen anybody that loves traditional country music any more than these two guys. From an early age they have worked so hard and given it all they had to make a difference to keep “the real country music alive”! It blesses me to see Chris and Taylor getting the much needed, long awaiting but very deserving recognition!!! I hope they are in the right place to be able to let people know that there are still real country music singers in this world and you won’t have to wonder anymore more ” Who’s Gonna Fill Them Shoes” THE MALPASS BROTHERS!!! Love these boys and their mom and dad!!! Awesome family!! And Chris’s little family! 🙂
July 7, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
I saw them a couple of years ago with Merle at Loretta’s ranch. They certainly held up their end of the show.
July 8, 2015 @ 6:58 am
Thank you!
July 8, 2015 @ 9:37 am
Holy crap these guys are good
July 8, 2015 @ 11:56 am
I am so proud to call the malpass family my friends. I just love the music they play and sing. thanks for keeping the country real. don’t ever change. love to you all
July 8, 2015 @ 10:28 pm
Wow! Thanks for turning me on to these guys Trigger! They need to be on the Opry.
August 3, 2015 @ 11:11 am
This music is a clear shot of whiskey in a smoky bar. Pitch-perfect, excellent.
February 11, 2017 @ 7:54 pm
Saw them on the Larry diner cruise. They are super good. Love the old music and thier show. Looking forward to seeing more of them.
September 14, 2019 @ 9:17 pm
I saw on bill Anderson show on rfd channel love their music o am from NC but they have more accent than I. Do
June 28, 2022 @ 3:15 pm
thank you all for praising the malpass music and singers.i agree they are tops with me and all their fans.i watch them every day, and buy their videos, due to health problems i haven,t got to see them in person yet.hope to do that very soon. love those old songs.i was brought up in that kind of era.also play music,steel guitar as well as sing.parents were musicans also .keep giving malpass bros, the praise they deserve love them so much.a devoted fan and friend.