CD Review: Phillip Sandifer – Go On
by Antony Bailey for Country Music News International
| Never Gets Said |
| That Wind |
| Looking for a War |
| The Trouble with Guitars |
| Seen Too Much |
| That Kind of Lonely |
| Like a Banjo |
| Forever Home |
| Another Song About Texas |
American singer-songwriter Phillip Sandifer’s 2018 ‘Go On’ album is fast approaching is fourth birthday as we look to revive country music that perhaps didn’t get as much of a mention as it deserved. The album is best described as a reflective project – touching on personal heartbreak as he tells a story of growing up and falling along the way.
The first track on the album is titled ‘Never Get Said’ outlines the meaning behind the music as Sandifer sings ‘’There are memories and scars that just won’t heal / There are bruises on my heart’’ epitomises the unease and tension triggered by past negative experience.
‘The Wind’ is similar in the sense that it carries the same message as the opening track on the record. The dynamics have been toned down a touch as the drums plays a cross-stick rhythm for the half of the song as the Sandifer successfully found a delicate balance to sweep the audience off its feet with a gentle gust of wind.
‘Looking For A War’ touches on the emotional conflict triggered by broken relationships, loneliness, and depression. The song can be interpreted as both literally going on to a battlefield as well as metaphorically as it sings about an individual who has been through a great deal of emotional trauma and can’t seem to ease their restless heart or find a sense of inner peace.
‘The Trouble With Guitars’ is another reflective and emotive piece of music – evoking a sense of longing for the return of a lover who he perhaps has unfinished business. ‘The Trouble With Guitars’ is that it enables him to pour out his emotion and say what he truly feels as it wouldn’t be so simple and straightforward without the use of his guitar to help him add significance to the music.
‘Seen Too Much’ sings about being exposed to too many traumatic experiences in addition to having to deal with too much too young. Being forced to grow up and mature before one’s time comes to mind when listening to this track and it can only be assumed that being exposed to death, disease, and broken relationships has influenced this record that simply leaves the hairs on the back on the neck standing up. ‘’I’ve seen too much’’ is the refrain that is repeated by Sandifer in the song’s outro.
‘Another Song About Texas’ is a gentle song that closes the album. The rhythmic accompaniment is minimal as Sandifer sings a song about being in the wide-open country Texas’s country roads and rugged terrain. ‘’I love morning coffee at a café near the park’’ underlines the music as he touches on nostalgia and reflects about his homeland.
The album can be found on Spotify, and it is well worth downloading and adding to the country playlist. Be sure to stay tuned to Country Music News International for future releases and updates as this is the only place to find the best upcoming country artists situated all around the world.
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