Bi-coastal LA/NY producer and songwriter Westerns returns with “Can’t Get You,” his first solo track of the year. He previously collaborated with indie up and comer Jesse Aicher (half of electro-pop duo, Prelow) on their February released single, “Surf’s Up, I’m Drowning.”
On “Can’t Get You,” Westerns dips his feet in the lo-fi/bedroom-pop pool. He sonically moves beyond past outings where he was engaged with alt R&B and experimental pop inflections. But this chilled-out effort is brimming with emotional heft propelled by washy production elements and soft, intimate vocals.
The track feels innately built from the poignant components of nostalgia and yearning. Narratively, “Can’t Get You” takes a insightful look at lost love and the concept of it never returning to its original form. It’s universal theme, relatable lyrics, and wistful melodies provide much for listeners to reflect upon in their own pursuits of a meaningful (re)connection. Although deemed a solo effort by Westerns, Jesse Aicher does provide background vocals on the track and producer We Met Offline (Matt Walsh) programmed the main bass part.
Catching up with Westerns (actual name: Josh Meer) via email, he informed me this about the new single, “‘Can't Get You’ took some time to fully finish because the lyrics and music weren't written at the same time. I went back to some older lyrics and wrote the music when I was in New York this past summer. Looking back on a lost love, I aimed for timelessness with the lyrics and melody while incorporating modern production elements.”
“Can’t Get You” follows Westerns’ singles “Surf’s Up, I’m Drowning” and “Everything Turns” with dream-pop artist Alex Siegel. Westerns plans to release more music with collaborations throughout the year.
