There's an easy sweetness to American Young's harmonies. On their debut single 'Love Is War,' the duo does more than just mirror one another. Jon Stone and Kristy Osmunson are two distinct, yet compatible halves of a truly unique piece of country fruit.

Comparisons to the Civil Wars will come early and often, and this is fair. However, there's less drama on 'Love Is War' --  one feels less the voyeur and more a fan. Stone has been a successful producer and songwriter for years, so nothing short of a top notch lyric is a reasonable expectation. Neither he nor Osmunson helped write the ballad, but it doesn't disappoint.

"Young lovers in a picture frame / Ever notice how there ain't no rain / Nobody hangs hard times on the wall," the male lead sings to begin the song. "You won't see it in an 8-by-10 / But there's a storm every now and then / A slamming door down the hall." Billy Montana, Kylie Sackley and Jonathan Singleton wrote this song. A better team to help launch your career may not exist.

Osmunson isn't just a pretty backup vocalist. One could argue the former Bomshel singer is the featured voice, but the reality is that their two styles become one. Yes, that's a little cliche, but plenty true in this case.

The chorus goes: "Sometimes love is a white flag / Sometimes love is standing tall / Sometimes love is a feather / Sometimes a cannon ball / And it's worth fighting for (yeah, it's worth fighting for) / Baby, sometimes love is war."

Sparseness is hot right now, partly because loud, heavily-produced rock songs are also in fashion. 'Love Is War' aims a little more down country main street than music from the Civil Wars, which should work well for American Young when it comes to asking country radio to take a chance on them. Their style isn't for everyone -- some may fall asleep before the three minutes is up -- but they've got the talent and song to make a big first impression.

4 Stars
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Listen to American Young, 'Love Is War'

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