Laura Recommends: The Shires - The Hard Way

With just one week to go until The Shires release their hotly anticipated new album 'Accidentally On Purpose', the duo have shared a third track off the record.  

The first was the official single 'Guilty', before the instant-grat release of the title track, and now they have shared 'The Hard Way'. I love this track but after listening to the whole album ahead of its official release which I reviewed for CelebMix I would say it's possibly the seventh or eighth best song on the album.  

My personal top-five on the LP are the stunning 'Stay The Night', the Lady Antebellum inspired, 'Sleepwalk', The pop infused 'River Of Love', the old-school 'Strangers', and the sublime 'Ahead Of The Storm'. 

The fact that the outstanding 'The Hard Way' is not even in the top-five best tracks on the album is a huge compliment to The Shires. Their sound has developed immensely since their 'My Universe' LP. Over the past two years their harmonies have gotten so tight, and the overall production is incredible. 

But back to 'The Hard Way', it's a gorgeous guitar heavy ballad that has a massive sing-a-long chorus. It's a really stunning song about only realising what you've got when "it's too little too late". 

Ben and Crissie's vocals sound so good, and it's a really great track that is going to be a real highlight when performed live. The hand claps at the beginning combined with the laid back country vibe that turns into a pop inspired hit make for a compelling listen.   

So if you're looking for some great new music to listen to this week, look no further than The Shires' new single 'The Hard Way'. You won't be disappointed.