Gone West have just released their debut record, Canyons, and if you’re not familiar with the band – let this be an education. Imogen reviews the record here and reveals her standout tracks.
Every so often a record comes along that makes you stop in your tracks, rewind, repeat tracks, pull up the lyrics and generally fall in love with. This year, Ruthie Collins’ Cold Comfort did just that, and then last week, we had the arrival of Canyons. Canyons is the debut record from group Gone West, including Grammy winner Colbie Caillat, alongside Justin Kawika Young, Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy. The sound is straight up traditional harmonious-riddled country mixed with a fresh southern California, think the harmonies of Little Big Town infused with quirky Gloriana meets Fleetwood Mac energy, in an utterly unique package.
The standout message from Canyons is that there is simply not a bad or weak track on here, where the band could have entered into corny territory, they have played with that balance before perfectly pulling it back. Perhaps it is the authenticity of the relationships that underpin this band that bring it its magic – Reeves and Joy have been married for eight years, while Caillat and Young dated for a decade before finally ending their relationship this year. The four are all songwriters who have had a hand in this record, shaping the entirety of the project to make it utterly compelling and thoughtfully composed.
Opening the album is ‘Gone West’ that reads as a letter of the band’s manifesto – each band member taking their turn to talk about finding the band. The message may be cheesy, the writing is not, it is catchy, smart, crafted and a perfect introduction to the stunning, intricate harmonies that underpin the record. You can’t help but smile at this opener, before Young’s unique voice takes its turn to open follow-up track ‘Slow Down’ and Reeves gets his turn in the second verse. This is another magic moment of the record – the balance of the harmonies – though Caillat may be the most ‘famous’ name on the group’s line-up, she does not dominate the spotlight and there is an incredible balance to the group that makes it yet more engaging.
Indeed, the compassion and empathy between the members of the group and to their listeners is palpable in their songwriting. They deal delicately and tenderly with the hallowed topics of heartbreak and love, in a way that does not feel scripted or overdone. So, in ‘What Could’ve Been’ and ‘When To Say Goodbye’ the group first gracefully handle the end of a relationship filled with love, but one ultimately not meant to be. ‘It’s like you’re on the mend and I’m on the bottle.’ The group’s harmonies soar over each other, whilst allowing solo moments to shine. Following a similar theme, Young’s vocal leads into ‘When To Say Goodbye’ before the harmonies swell into the mix, in a track about letting go – ‘real love knows when to say goodbye.’ The track feels intimately significant, given the end of Caillat and Young’s relationship this year.
Neither ‘Confetti’ nor ‘Knew You’ should be overlooked, both are cleverly written and handled in production. In the latter, the artistry is in the hand-off between the members of the band, with Joy taking the lead in the second verse, Caillat helming the verses and Reeves leading a rap-tinged third verse, a track about realising you never knew someone you thought you knew the best. ‘Confetti’ is a stand-out moment on the record, celebrating the end of a relationship, it is effervescently fun and bubbly, allowing the band to dance out the toxins. ‘My heart didn’t break when I broke into that bottle of fancy champagne.’ If you don’t enjoy this track, can we recommend a glass of fancy champagne and take another listen?
There are some truly heartbreaking moments in the record – none more so than ‘I’m Never Getting Over You’ that is a haunting portrayal of someone still in love with the person who they’re letting go. This is one of the more compelling moments on the record, made more so by Caillat and Young taking the lead, perhaps mirroring their own story. Later track, ‘Talkin’ Bout You’ is a gloriously golden mirroring track, about regret in letting someone go ‘I was young, too young to know / It was dumb to let you go,’ while later track ‘Home Is Where The Heartbreak Is’ is an aching portrayal of being reminded of the past.
Perhaps the harmonies are most lucid on ‘Gamblin’ Town,’ a track that narrates the struggles of pursuing your dreams when the odds are stacked against you, as in a game of poker. ‘Don’t you kid yourself / In a one-in-a-million crowd / The stakes are high.’ The production here is infused with a swelling steel guitar that is delicately handled, letting the harmonies ring free. A similar charm is carried into next track ‘R&R’ that roots the track back in California – you can feel yourself roaming along the Western coast with Gone West with a ‘rhythm and a radio.’
The final two tracks are the jewel in the crown of Canyons, both are thoughtfully and cleverly written are a perfect display of the power of this group. ‘This Time’ is a haunting and sobering reminder to live in the moment, in light of the death of Tom Petty. ‘Next time there might not be a this time.’ The result is stunning in its simple prose, letting the harmonies draw you in again. Final track, ‘Tides’ offers the flipside of the coin its reassurance to listeners that this too shall pass. ‘Into the horizon we sail together / Knowing there’s nothing that lasts forever.’ It feels incredibly relevant to the present moment, leaving it with a very real potency to round out the record.
Gone West have truly captured magic in this debut record, with a compassion and empathy that brims into their handling of each other’s voices in the record, their lyricism and their packaging of the album as a whole with its universal messages of hope and love. Gone West are a light, and this album has ignited something truly special.
Standout Tracks
Confetti
When To Say Goodbye
This Time
