On their newest single, “West Virginia,” Cliff & Susan take country storytelling into the emotionally vivid and cinematic with a track that stays with you long after the last note. This is a road trip through memory, freedom, and a quiet goodbye, and all of it is related to a voice that knows the cost of going but also the courage of being able to.
At first glance, the title “West Virginia” may be an accepted “sense of place,” but Cliff & Susan turn the map upside down with a twist on the lyrics. “West Virginia” is a metaphor. A guy, an emotion, a chapter downwind. The songwriting plays a delicate game of personal and poetic, giving the listener the room to project his or her own story upon the canvas.
The song’s production is perfect for a cinematic sweep but with enough breathing room for its modern country textures (acoustic guitars, subtle steel licks). The arrangement allows the emotion to sit front and center. Cliff and Susan allow things to unfold gracefully, never rushed, never over the top. The chorus swells gently instead of exploding, which renders the release more like a silent epiphany than a big finish. Cliff & Susan sound roughed up as singers, yet they make their performances sound like home. There’s sincerity to the language, there’s a gentle note in the delivery that pulls the listener near. This duo knows how to write intimate, unguarded, and unapologetically human songs.
It’s clear, “West Virginia” sounds like a sunset drive with the windows down and a heart full of questions. It’s reflective without turning bitter, sentimental without succumbing to cliché. This is for those who need more thoughtful country ballads with a contemporary edge. With “West Virginia,” Cliff & Susan keep blazing their own country music trail, one in which substance out-trumps spectacle and wherein the quietest songs oftentimes echo the loudest.
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