Jim & Ingrid Croce - Croce (1969/2020)

Jim & Ingrid Croce's duo album, which appeared years before Jim Croce's breakout 1972 hit "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," demonstrates that the later decision for Jim Croce to perform solo was a sound one. Together, the Croces singing in unison sound like a becalmed version of Ian & Sylvia on these gentle folk songs. Ingrid Croce, who takes several lead vocals and even sings by herself on "The Next Man That I Marry," has a passable but unremarkable voice, while Jim Croce often shows the casual style that would become so popular in the early '70s. This is particularly noticeable on "Another Day, Another Town" and "What the Hell," at least until Ingrid Croce joins in on the choruses. The material, much of it written by the Croces, is pleasant but ordinary; there are no hidden gems here. This album passed unnoticed when it was first released, only gaining attention in the wake of Jim Croce's hit recordings for ABC and his subsequent early death, which put a premium on all parts of his relatively small catalog. But it remains juvenilia or, to be more precise, a stylistic experiment that didn't really work before Croce hit upon the magic formula as a solo act.