We Still Love Our Country North Street Opus Records***

The duet is one of the core conventions of country music, a coming together in which a truce is often called in the ever- fractious battle of the hearts. Famous duos include Tammy Wynette and George Jones, Johnny Cash and June Carter and, of course, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The latter alt.country open-heart model serves as a beacon for this short but impressive set by Belfast- born Ben Kyle and his Austin, Texas foil Carrie Rodriquez. They write two of the eight tracks, and their ringing opener, Your Lonely Heart,sits easily with the well-chosen covers, including Townes Van Zandt's moving If I Needed Youand My Baby's Gone. Their voices gel, though they falter at the close with their over-reverent reading of the classic Parsons/Harris take on Boudleaux Bryant's Love Hurts. Some shoes are just too big to fill. See benkyle.com

Download tracks: Your Lonely Heart, My Baby's Gone