Pop duo making headlines isn’t Nick and Jessica

New Universe

Wilshire

Columbia Records

Recommended if you like:…

New Universe

Wilshire

Columbia Records

Recommended if you like: Anastacia’s voice, Michelle Branch’s guitar playing and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s passion

There’s a new pop-rock couple for you to check out, and it’s not just another Jessica Simpson and Nick Lache duet. While they are a married duet, don’t think this is just another excuse to write songs about a honeymoon night.

With as much passion in their work as Faith Hill and Tim McGraw compilations, Lori and Micah Wilshire’s vocal and instrumental talents may be around for awhile.

Though the couple is gorgeous to look at, don’t let their appearance fool you. Do not believe them to be another bubblegum pop group, like past MTV couples. They have a little more to say than what their “sweetest sin” is.

The couple has looks good enough to walk down the runway with their guitars, and it hardly seems as if they would ever have any trouble finding an audience. Playing out of their Honda Civic seven years ago, the couple may not agree. And only in the past two years did they take a chance by moving from their hometown of Nashville, Tn., to Los Angeles, playing at every open mic night and college concert available.

Wilshire’s single, “Special,” calls up an image of their experiences and their hopes for a better day to come. It must have worked: “I’m looking for a hallelujah/I need a little something special/yeah, I’m looking for a hallelujah/looking for something special/to get me off this cycle.”

No more late nights at coffee shops any longer for the rock couple. And the rest of New Universe describes exactly that – no more of the going over to friends’ homes in hopes of a meal. The opening act for Train in July, and the upcoming tour with Seal in November and December, looks like Wilshire have found their hallelujah.

It’s not hard to understand why they’ve had what seems like overnight success, though, even by briefly listening to their CD. Though only two of the songs seem to stand out, “Special” and “Go On” – a song recorded about pushing yourself to fulfill your destiny – you’ll still listen to the rest of the songs on the album and be mesmerized by Lori’s astonishing voice.

There is hardly any female vocalist out in the rock world that could be compared to her. Lori takes over the album with as much soul as Mariah Carey, minus the hipster jeans and butterfly tattoos. You will be amazed. Not only will you have to fix your jaw back into place, but you will also have to stop your hips from swaying when you’re walking on campus with your headphones.

Perhaps it’s because of the album’s take on life – each song seems to have guidelines to improve yourself – that makes the listener feel that if a couple from Nashville could relocate their guitars from coffee shops to an appearance on The Sharon Osbourne Show, anything’s possible.

After all, anything can happen in a new universe.