NYCS First Impression: Gone West ‘Tides’
There are certain voices that are just meant to be together. On their own, each voice is powerful and special, but when combined, there’s a transcendent magic that occurs. This is the case with the likes of country super-groups like Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, and Little Big Town. Now, a new group has hit the scene, and we’d like to introduce you to Gone West.
The quartet is comprised of four accomplished singers and musicians, who have joined forces to create musical magic. Most notable is Colbie Caillat, the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter. Caillat is joined by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jason Reeves, singer-songwriter Justin Kawika Young, and ACM and CMT nominated Nelly Joy.
On January 18, Gone West released their debut EP, Tides, and we’re already anxious to hear more. Together, the foursome co-wrote all of the EP’s four tracks, joined by some of Nashville’s biggest names, including Liz Rose, Eric Aries, and Tom Douglas. What’s most exciting about the debut project is the fact that it’s equally diverse and cohesive. Each of the four tracks shows a different side to the band, while all sounding alike enough to fit on the same project.
The EP opens with “Gone West,” a song describing how each of the band’s four members went west and ended up in California. “I’ve gone west, bring the best back with me,” They sing here, relaying the musical journey that led them to each other. Relying heavily on their harmonies over a toe-tapping melody, this song is remnant of Little Big Town’s earliest releases, as is much of the EP.
The quartet slows things down on the somber “Home is Where the Heartbreak Is,” telling the tale of a home that holds nothing but heartbreaking memories. “Love found somewhere else to live,” the quartet sing on this track, evoking the sadness of a broken relationship. “Where do you go when all that you know has slipped right through your fingertips?”
Things pick back up with “Confetti,” an endlessly fun track devoted to turning a broken relationship into a positive. Here, the quartet take a breakup and turn it into a celebration with a clever lyrical twist. “Yeah my heart didn’t break when I broke into that old bottle of fancy champagne / I’ve been saving for the perfect time/ You can’t rain on my parade / Got my freedom, gonna celebrate / When you left, I was so damn ready / No tears fell, just confetti.”
On “This Time,” the incredible harmonies of Gone West are on full display, as they urge “next time, there might not be a this time.” The song is an ode to living in the moment and not putting things off until tomorrow. “Life and love, they don’t age like fine wine, there’s no time to waste to taste the sweetest vine,” they sing, urging listeners to seize the day. “Let’s fill this cup, and drink it up tonight.”
Watch Gone West’s video for “This Time” here:
Gone West made their Opry debut on October 26th at Opry Goes Pink, a fundraising event at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN to raise breast cancer awareness and benefit Susan G Komen. The band also recently signed to Triple Tigers Records, the musical home of Scotty McCreery and Russell Dickerson.
Based on the masterpiece that is Tides, we cannot wait for a full release from Gone West. We fully expect big things from this foursome, and if things continue on this trajectory, we expect them to be country’s next huge super-group.
Tides Track List:
1. “Gone West” (Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Danelle Reeves, Jason Reeves)
2. “Home Is Where The Heartbreak Is” (Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Danelle Reeves, Jason Reeves, Liz Rose)
3. “Confetti” (Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Danelle Reeves, Jason Reeves, Eric Arjes)
4. “This Time” (Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Danelle Reeves, Jason Reeves, Tom Douglas)
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