Tim O’Brien has never needed the spotlight to make his mark. A quiet giant in American roots music, he’s been a cornerstone of bluegrass, folk, and Americana for over fifty years. From his early days with the seminal Hot Rize to writing hits for Garth Brooks and the Chicks, O’Brien’s journey has been winding, unflashy, but essential. Released on O’Brien’s own Howdy Skies label, Paper Flowers is a bouquet of love, memory, and domestic life, overflowing with warmth and wisdom. It’s also a long-overdue spotlight for Fabricius, who’s spent the past decade singing, touring, and co-writing with O’Brien, gradually evolving from harmony singer to co-creator. “We’d been carving out our duet stage identity for years,” O’Brien says. “Now we had a body of our own songs. It was time to make this record.”

Their partnership blossomed organically. After meeting at Kansas’ Walnut Valley Festival in the '90s and reconnecting in 2011, their personal relationship soon turned musical. What began as informal harmonizing around the house became full-fledged songwriting sessions, first with each other, then with folk hero Tom Paxton via weekly Zoom calls. Twelve of Paper Flowers’s 15 tracks were born from those digital co-writing sessions, the rest homegrown between O’Brien and Fabricius.

The result is an album that feels lived-in, tender, and even a bit eclectic. There’s the breezy swing of “Atchison,” the toe-tapping rockabilly of “Blacktop Rag Mop,” and the gospel touch of “Back To Eden.” Tracks like “Yellow Hat” and “Hungry Heart” nod to classic country duets, while “Lonesome Armadillo” brings a dose of whimsy. But the album’s emotional center lies in songs like “Covenant,” a haunting string-backed elegy on school shootings, and “Here With Me,” O’Brien’s solo closer that feels like a sunrise set to music. Fabricius shines on standout cuts like “Down To Burn” and “I Look Good In Blue,” telling stories drawn from overheard conversations and real-life characters. Her voice - earthy, clear, and empathetic - adds a new texture to O’Brien’s blend of wit and melancholy.

Backed by heavyweights like Edgar Meyer, Mike Bub, and fiddler Shad Cobb, and recorded in Nashville’s storied Cowboy Arms and the Tractor Shed, Paper Flowers sounds as crisp and natural as the life it chronicles. There’s no flash, no grandstanding, just two people making music that matters to them.