Written on the road while supporting acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews, Briscoe’s new album Heat of July unfolds as a musical travelogue—an exploration of the landscapes and stories encountered across the US and the characters that live there. And while the title was inspired by the temperatures of West Texas, the Austin-based Americana/folk duo also namechecks Arizona, California, and the Texas/Mexico border throughout the record.
The laid back album opener “Saving Grace” carries the vibes of a classic Eagles’ tune, backed by a train song rhythm section with a steady syncopated clickety-click beat, and lyrically leans into the other theme of the album: being grateful for the ones you love. “Blue Eyes And Red Wine,” kicked off with a wailing harmonica and the dueting banjo and guitar, also dips into the theme of finding love (it should be noted that Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman both married their longtime partners between the debut album and the release of this one). Another hallmark of those two songs, as well as the others that make up this collection, is the duo’s pristine harmonies that are woven throughout.
The ominous “Flashlights in the Canyon,” mixes in dark moans of a viola to increase the tension as they sing from the point of view of a pregnant immigrant fearful of coyotes (the human kind) and immigration agents as she tries to make it across the border to a better life in the U.S. “Free” is an obvious stand out from the record. The loose groove of the rhythm section, the fiddle weaved throughout, and the laidback delivery of the vocals are simply sublime. Closing with the moody “Is This Where,” the album drifts out on acoustic guitar and a plaintive fiddle, leaving a lingering note of reflection
While Heintzelman and Lupton both played guitar throughout the album and Lupton played piano, sax, and harmonica, the duo also supplemented their sound with the help of another folk/Americana duo, North Carolina’s Watchhouse, as well as studio musicians. Heat Of July may not be a radical departure from their 2023 debut, but it carries a quiet maturity — lyrics sharpened with a poet’s eye and melodies refined with a polish that still leaves room for the rawness of their indie roots.
