You’d be forgiven for assuming that in Drew and Ellie Holcomb’s nearly two decades of marriage—and an equally long creative partnership—an album bringing the two together so intimately in both music and matrimony would already exist. While they’ve performed together many times, from Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors to their beloved “You and Me” tours, Memory Bank marks their first full-length album as true co-writers. The result is a seamless fusion of their sensibilities and styles, capturing the warmth and wisdom they’ve cultivated over the years.
At first listen, the album’s distinctions from their previous solo efforts may seem subtle. Drew and Ellie have long shared an artistic wavelength, and their inspirations intertwine naturally. That cohesion shines on buoyant tracks like Never Gonna Let You Go, a song so infectious you can almost hear the festival crowd stomping along. It’s an anthem of love and devotion, echoing themes both artists have explored before. Similarly, High Love calls back to the heartfelt sincerity of What Would I Do Without You, a 2013 standout from Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors—though here, the delivery feels more expansive, a natural evolution of their shared storytelling.
Yet, some tracks push beyond their familiar soundscapes. Carry the Water channels Ellie’s gospel influences with a spiritual undercurrent that sets it apart, weaving scriptural allusions into its melody. Another standout, Brick by Brick, also feels deeply rooted in Ellie’s strengths, as she takes lead vocals in a soulful meditation on love’s endurance. Whether it’s about a higher love or something more earthly, the song’s rich textures and contemplative mood add depth to the album’s latter half, where the duo leans into more introspective territory.
Perhaps the most unexpected moment comes with their cover of Walk the Moon’s 2014 hit Shut Up and Dance. Given their history of covering legends like Tom Petty and Elton John, this choice may feel like a departure. But in the context of their own music—especially the celebratory spirit of Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors’ Dance with Everybody—the song finds its place. It’s an invitation, much like their own work, to embrace joy, movement, and the moment.
Whether Memory Bank feels wholly distinct from their past projects is almost beside the point. For music journalists like me, parsing out those differences is part of the job. But for listeners, what matters is the feeling the album evokes. And Memory Bank is, at its core, an album about love in all its complexities—the kind that endures, that changes, that defines a life. That’s what Drew and Ellie Holcomb do best: they capture emotions we all experience and set them to music in a way that lingers long after the last note. Years from now, these songs will sit in our own memory banks, just as Drew and Ellie intended—reminders of the moments that matter most.
