Review: Going The Distance – Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus

Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus met in a bar in Arnold, Maryland. Brokus approached Patton on a break and asked if she could sing a song with his band. He asked her to sing Neil Young’s “Cow-girl in the Sand” with them and they have sung together ever since.

The album opens with the title track, ‘Going The Distance’. Though it starts off vulnerable, Patton’s vocals find their strength in the second chorus and add a bit more power to the song when Brokus joins too. ‘We had friends that were waiting and songs left to play’ resonates after the last two years where life has been on the pause button.

The record ends with a slight reprise of this track, the harmonies shine on these heavily effected vocals which linger in the air over the lack of instrumentation to distract from it. My favourite track is ‘That’s What I Do’, it’s got a simple lyric which is set to a simple tune but it’s catchy and memorable with a traditional country instrumentation.

I think this album has a lot to offer and Patton has written some very relatable lyrics on this record.