Eric Brace and Peter Cooper / “You Don’t Have To Like Them Both” (Red Beet Records).

Peter Cooper’s “Mission Door” made my best of 2008 list and my only complaint about that disc was that it was Peter’s debut which meant there wasn’t any back catalog to discover and enjoy. Peter and Eric Brace (Last Train Home) combine their talents on “You Don’t Have To Like Them Both” and it’s a disc that is hard to not like unless you’re “The Man Who Loves To Hate” from track five. I can't find anything on this disc to complain about but I imagine he could. The duo’s voices compliment each other blending perfectly in a way I haven’t heard since Texas favorites Shake Russell and Dana Cooper (no relation) flirted with fame in 1980s. Eric and Peter picked some favorite tunes from Todd Snider, Kris Kristofferson, Kevin Gordon, David Olney, Jim Lauderdale, Karl Straub and Paul Kennerley to cover, threw in a handful of originals and produced twelve tracks of soulful, sometimes mournful, country-folk-rock (or Americana if you prefer). Highlights are Eric’s “I Know A Bird”, “Down to the Well” (Kevin Gordon) and Karl Straub’s “Drinking From A Swimming Pool”. “Denali, Not McKinley” and “Lucky Bones” are catchy goofy tracks that I doubt Peter and Eric can sing without cracking smiles. Listening to the disc it is easy to imagine these two talented buddies jamming on a porch in front of some very lucky friends. I’m sure Peter and Eric wouldn’t mind if you picked up a copy and crashed the party.

The Band is:
Paul Griffith: drums, percussion
David Roe: upright bass
The Lloyd Green: pedal steel guitar
Peter Cooper: vocals, guitar
Jen Gunderman: keyboards, accordion
Eric Brace: vocals, acoustic guitar

Eric Brace is the founder of Red Beet Records home of Peter Cooper, Eric and his band Last Train Home, fayssoux and The Skylighters.