War & Treaty - Plus One

Between 2022 and 2024, the War and Treaty signed with UMG Nashville, released the Dave Cobb-produced album Lover's Game, and collected two Grammy nominations, including a nod for Best New Artist. That album, their third, saw the spousal duo -- Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Blount, who play off that dynamic in their passionate performances -- neatly cover much of the vast stylistic territory they'd become known for, starting with soul and veering into country-gospel, electric blues, folk, adult contemporary pop, and more. They seem to grab onto this ambitious musical philosophy as well as their professional momentum with all four hands -- and then up the ante -- on the follow-up, Plus One, a mercurial 18-song set all about feelings and personal bonds, and released on Valentine's Day. This time around, studio sessions were produced by a team helmed by Trotter that included contributions from country artist Jonathan Singleton, John Shanks (Bon Jovi), Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini), and Andrew Capra (Derek Johnson, the Belles).

Meanwhile, collaborators on a handful of tracks include Billy Strings ("Drink from Me") and Miranda Lambert, who co-wrote the strutting, horns-punctuated country-soul opener, "Love Like Whiskey." After starting things off with a rousing, clap-along group celebration of a love that endures faults, they only take the energy level up for further Side A tracks like the banjo-inflected "Can I Get an Amen" and the galloping "Called You by Your Name." Once they bowl over listeners with their remarkably powerful and expressive performances on these songs, they take things down a few notches for the slinky soul ballad "Stealing a Kiss," kill us with tenderness on the quieter, strings-enhanced "Teardrops in the Rain" and with the easygoing twang of "Leads Me Home," before dropping performative country ("Carried Away"), dramatic, Bond-theme-worthy blues-rock ("I Can't Let You Go"), and ecstatic soul-blues ("Mr. Fun") into the relationship conversation ("I'll come runnin', baby"). Not a record for a romantic dinner but rather uplift and exhilaration (although it does go out on the earnest appreciation "The Glorious Ones," to help listeners transition back to calm), Plus One may play out like an over-the-top talent reel, but it's one that's too skilled and impressive to be minimized or dismissed. AllMusicGuide