Rating: 8/10
When I saw a review for Cliff Westfall’s Baby You Win on Saving Country Music, I knew I had to check this album out. In the review, the overall sound of this album was discussed, and I listened to one of the songs Trigger left for the readers to hear. It was fast, the sound was straight out of the 50s and 60s, and I was sold.
That song was the opening track, “It Hurt Her to Hurt Me”. With the faster tempo and overall production, I was immediately hooked. In my opinion, it’s got some of the best sounds of 50s and 60s country, but it’s not in a way that indicates copying or a gimmick. It’s simply Cliff Westfall’s style. The whole album just has this old-fashioned feel, and it’s brilliant. I love the varied tempos that are present here, too. Most, like “Hurt Her to Hurt Me”, are actually faster, and personally, I’m all for a faster album.
As varied as the tempos are, the overall theme of the album is love. Almost every song on the album discusses relationships, either the good or bad parts. The aforementioned “It Hurt Her to Hurt Me” is a song about a man whose partner has walked out on him after one too many instances of his wrongdoing. Still, he thinks it hurt her to hurt him. It’s hilarious, catchy, and a song I keep returning to. My favorite song off of this record is “The Man I Used to Be”. It’s a more upbeat song about the downfall of a relationship, all because the man isn’t meeting the higher standards he’d set for himself during the earlier days of their marriage. His wife isn’t looking for another man, she’s just wishing he was more like the man she married.
I won’t go into a track-by-track analysis about this album, simply because they really are mostly about the ups and downs of love. The only exception is “End of the Line”. It’s a fun song about someone who’s a bit too wild for his own good. I have to say,I do love how Cliff Westfall makes so many of these faster songs go more in-depth lyrically.
My least favorite has to be “Lie If You Must”. It just doesn’t really do anything for me. I could honestly do without this song. I just find it forgettable.
Still, this album is one you should check out if you’re into the 50s and 60s eras in country music. There’s sadness, happiness, and just some of the best production I’ve heard in a while. I love the instrumentation, too. This album cannot be classified as anything other than true traditional country. There’s something on this album for everyone, especially given the large focus on relationship-tnemed songs, and everyone knows that love is relatable. As this is Cliff Westfall’s debut album, I am excited to see what he does next.