I jumped aboard the country music train at an early age. I never grew up listening to it, but I’ve always had an adoration for the violin and banjo. When I heard the first song on Start Here, I felt strangely refreshed. I’ve long been a fan of Taylor’s Swift’s music, back before she got kicked out of the Country Music Awards. Maddie and Tae provided something similar to that of Taylor’s, but their impeccable harmonizing and twangier-than-usual roots made it even better.

What I liked most about the album was that it was an all-female group. Although I appreciate a good male country artist, I prefer to hear women singing. It really bothers me to this day how pretty much every country song sang by a male is about a girl in cutoff shorts and a bikini top sitting on a pickup truck at a tailgate. And don’t forget the beer. There’s always a beer.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love those songs. But I’ve always wondered what the song would be like from the girl’s point of view. I was incredibly happy to see the “Girl In A Country Song” on the album. The song answered every question I’d ever had with a tinge of humor and a lot of sarcasm, but without sacrificing what I take to be their feminism. It was like they knew exactly what I was thinking, and for that, props to Maddie and Tae. “Tell me one more time, ‘you gotta get you some of that’, Sure I’ll slide on over, but you’re gonna get slapped” had me laughing out loud. The rhythm of that particular song was so catchy that it had me tapping my toes and humming along.

For the music, I don’t think there was very much room for improvement. To me, every song sounded beautiful and unique in its own way. The only thing I did not like about the album was the the cover. In my opinion, the cover could definitely be improved. Of course, it was a gorgeous cover. Maddie and Tae are two very beautiful girls. They are sitting in what seems to be the back of a red pickup truck or Jeep with a tire on the back. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much every country album out there. They’re in nature or near a vehicle of some sort, usually with a guitar. Maddie and Tae didn’t have a guitar, for which I give them mucho credit. If I went to a music store looking for a new country CD to buy, which I do all the time, I would be browsing through hundreds of them with images of the artist on the front sitting in a beat-up pickup truck or at a tailgate or something. I would have flipped right past this CD until I found one with a more unique cover. I definitely think that’s some wasted potential right there. Their voices are so beautiful and they match so perfectly that I would hate for someone to not buy their CD because of the cover. But unfortunately, unless they know exactly what they want, most people judge CDs by their cover.

These two girls are incredibly talented. The way their voices blend together is so satisfying and comforting. I could hear the emotion in their voices when they sang, “No Place Like You” and the sarcasm when they sang “Sierra”. I even felt like I could relate to a few situations, which made the album all the more warm. Their talent is unchallenged, and their voices are so pure. I would not hesitate to purchase an album in the future that is made by these two incredibly gifted girls.