Two powerhouse voices collide with “I Can Lie (The Truth Is).” Kameron Marlowe enlists the help of Erin Kirby for a colossal performance. Stitched with a Jon Pardi spirit, the heart-fluttering ballad feels ripped straight out of the ‘90s. It’s as timeless as anything you would have heard on the radio. It’s that good.

“We’re the perfect dead-end road / ‘Cause one-minute we’re on fire and the next minute we’re ice cold,” sings Marlowe, wearing his heart on his sleeve. “When I find you in my arms, somehow we’re still lost / It’s like we’re flying down the highway, broke down and the wheels coming off.”

Kirby matches Marlowe, note for note. Together, they stir up quite a vocal firestorm and power through the emotion with torrential force. “Somehow, I can love you and hate you at the same time,” the duo sings. There’s a raw vulnerability to the performance that hangs in the air. It lingers with you long after the song has ended.

Listen to “I Can Lie (The Truth Is)” below.

A Kannapolis, North Carolina native, Marlowe enjoyed only a short stint on The Voice. It’s hard to imagine why he was cut so early. His talent speaks for itself. With a debut album in his back pocket, the singer-songwriter looks ahead to what’s next. His collaboration with Kirby is just the tip of the iceberg of what he’s got coming down the pipeline. 

Kirby, originally from Jasper, Georgia, has been climbing the country music ranks, as well. Since her American Idol audition, she released a series of singles before undergoing a bit of a reinvention. But it was necessary. Her career began when she was just 13, so she had a lot of life to live before forging a career. “I Can Lie (The Truth)” follows two solo releases, “Raised in a Barn” and “Boys These Days.”