As their name suggests, The Weeping Willows tap into the tear-jerking potential of classic country and folk balladry. Singing together in close harmony, Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth spin forlorn tales of empty souls wishing to become whole, black crows delivering justice for sinful acts and the simple cathartic act of singing the blues. Recording this third album in Los Angeles with multiple Grammy winner Ryan Freeland, the Melbourne duo enlists a dream team of guest players who have accompanied the likes of Willie Nelson, Kasey Chambers, and Rosanne Cash. That warm tapestry of fiddle, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel, and accordion sits snugly against their vocalizing, though all that delicate instrumentation drops away for the a cappella closing number “North Wind.” Between that stirring finale and the plaintive waltz “Fall Out of Time,” Coates and Wrigglesworth deliver their distinctly gothic tidings with a tenderness that keeps the looming darkness just out of reach.