Cliff Westfall Brings “More and More” to the Table (premiere)

In the current country landscape, Cliff Westfall’s music is a refreshing breeze. Drawing influence from the timeless hooks and unmatched wit of artists like Roger Miller and Chuck Berry, Westfall incorporates a dose of old-school know-how into his art. The broad scope of his retro roots ingenuity can be felt on his new album, Baby You Win, set to be released on 13 July. As it were, some of the most cunning and richly melodic country to grace us in the genre’s contemporary era comes from a singer-songwriter who hails from the Big Apple.

Ahead of the release of Baby You Win, Westfall is premiering his single, “More and More”, with PopMatters. On the track, Westfall tells us, “I don’t really have a set pattern on whether music or lyrics come first — a lot of times, the hook appears out of nowhere with lyrics and melody, and the rest of it I have to write. ‘More and More’ was different. I had the lyrics, but I couldn’t find a melody that really seemed to get the mood across, which was kind of that wistful, on-the-precipice thing that Roy Orbison did so well. So I tried to give it that kind of vibe. Even though most of my songwriting is really centered in classic honky tonk, I listen to a lot of other stuff. I think this song brings in a few of those other influences too.”

Indeed, “More and More” would not feel out of place on an Orbison LP. Westfall’s voice wraps itself around a nostalgic arrangement with ease, conveying a sense of longing to his listeners. Better yet, trite lyricism doesn’t bog this piece down, given Westfall’s knack for inventive writing. All in all, as one of our first tastes of his forthcoming album, Baby You Win seems to be building up into a compelling body of work.