Couple(t)s - Couldn't Be Happiers
Credit: Photo by Ken Bennett
There’s something instantly charming — and deceptively complex — about Couple(t)s, the sophomore album by North Carolina folk-rock duo Couldn’t Be Happiers. On first listen, it’s easy to get swept up in the earworm harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and the sheer likability of the married couple at the heart of it all: Jodi Hildebran Lee and Jordan Crosby Lee. But spend a little more time with this 12-track record, and you’ll find a rich, poetic tapestry that digs deep into protest, folklore, and love — the three pillars that hold this project up.
The title Couple(t)s is clever and layered — much like the music itself. It nods not only to Jodi and Jordan’s relationship as a couple, but also to the poetic structure of the couplet: two lines, distinct but rhythmically joined. Likewise, this album unfolds in pairs — two protest songs, two love songs, two folk story songs — on each of its two sides. This thematic organization gives the album a sort of narrative backbone, but the diversity of its sounds and stories makes sure it never feels formulaic.
Musically, Couple(t)s lives under the folk-rock umbrella, but it’s not afraid to step out into a drizzle of other genres. “Come Back Tomorrow” delivers a vibrant New Orleans second-line groove that’s impossible not to tap along with. “Lydia’s Bridge” is gorgeously eerie, with industrial textures that build the ghost story into something cinematic. And “King of Austin” shows off some nimble bluegrass chops that feel completely at home. What holds all this together is the duo’s undeniable chemistry and a lyrical voice that is earnest, witty, and grounded in Southern storytelling.
Standout tracks like “Plastic Bag Odyssey” show the band’s quirky, brilliant approach to protest music — telling the tale of a sentient grocery bag who refuses to die and using absurdity to underscore environmental disaster.
On the flip side, “Wherever You Go” slows everything down, delivering a gentle tribute to love and legacy inspired by Jordan’s late father. Then there’s “Lydia’s Bridge,” which draws from North Carolina lore to paint a haunting picture of love and loss in a ghostly key.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
What’s remarkable is that, even with this genre-hopping and emotional range, nothing feels out of place. Producer Doug Davis helps bring each song to life with lush instrumentation — think melodica, musical saw, accordion — but never at the expense of the duo’s stripped-down core. These songs work just as well in a living room as they would on a big stage. You believe that Jordan and Jodi could play them for you in person — and that they probably have.
The making of the album, by all accounts, was a bit of a marathon — squeezed into spare moments around day jobs, gigs, and real life. But that DIY grit shines through in the best way.
Couple(t)s doesn’t just sound like a passion project; it sounds like a labor of love between two people who understand each other — and music — on a deep level.
In a world where it’s easy to feel divided and detached, Couldn’t Be Happiers reminds us that harmony — poetic, musical, or personal — is always possible.
Couple(t)s is available now on all major streaming platforms
