It took
Maddie & Tae nearly four years to deliver a follow-up to
Start Here and its two hits, "Girl in a Country Song" and "Fly." When it did arrive, it was in the form of
One Heart to Another, a five-song EP that contained the minor 2018 single "Friends Don't," and "Die from a Broken Heart." Part of the long delay could be chalked up to their label Dot folding in 2017, an event that led them to UMG Nashville. Unfortunately, that doesn't quite explain how the
One Heart to Another EP feels frozen in time, as if it was recorded in 2015, not 2019. The duo remains appealing -- their harmonies flow easily, their original compositions are considered and sturdy -- but the hazy, soft-focused production of the EP feels slightly out of fashion in 2019. Trapped between old-fashioned pop-country and adult contemporary, the music is as comforting as a warm bath yet lacking any of the clever, defiant wit of
Start Here. The one track that doesn't sound overly smooth and polished is "New Dog Old Tricks," a bright country-rocker that pulses to a sequenced beat, but the gaiety feels forced. Nevertheless, the track helps put
One Heart to Another into perspective, showing that
Maddie & Tae have a lot of old-school Nashville gifts, even if that talent may mean that they sometimes sound a little old-fashioned at times. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine