WHITEHORSE

The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss

whitehorsemusic.ca

Whenever a married couple sings about the “seven-year itch,” there’s a tendency to think the worst: trouble in paradise. But Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, the husband-and-wife duo behind this dark and stormy Canadian twang-pop duo, haven’t made a breakup record. Their full-length debut is all about keeping things spicy, and while the acoustic ballad “Mismatched Eyes (Boat Song)” hints at infidelity, it also contains affirmations of undying love. When the tempo picks up and the pair unpeels snarled-lip rockabilly riffs, the passion between them is never in doubt. On the closing “Mexico Texaco,” they indulge in a Bonnie & Clyde fantasy, imagining themselves as Tarantino outlaws on the run. Hey, whatever gets you going.