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LA based singer songwriter Joe August keeps music fans on their toes with his latest 6 track release, LET A GOOD THING GO. After a few listens, this body of work teased my curiosity and left me pleasantly surprised how Joe uses the EP as an opportunity to witness how dynamic of an artist he is.
Beginning with opening track Model Citizen we get to see almost instantaneously how Joe helps us to visualise a picture in our mind as we navigate and find ourselves exploring the richness of his lyrics. Sonically you hear undertones of some of the artists that influence him so for fans of Tame Impala or even Jagwa Ma this track might make you feel right at home.
Having drawn the listener in and set the tone, we then move onto Run For Your Life, which I like because the lyrics are so open and honest, and I guess a little bit feisty because it delves into the topic of friendships and those connections where we can sometimes feel like we are being messed around and taken for a ride. And in the midst of what would of be quite a toxic situation to find ourselves, Joe offers us a alternative outlook to tackling those scenarios, guided brilliantly by the most catchiest of chorus where you can’t help but give into the chants of ‘you better run for your life, you better run while you’ve still got time’.
Majority of the time, artists tend to focus their attention to the breakdown of romantic relationships or heartache. I find it refreshing that Joe focused on friendships in this song, which often feels overlooked or goes unspoken. I commend Joe for this!
The third track on the EP, which is also the title track, is a short track just over a minute long, and while you might be scratching your head at first wondering why there is a need to have such as a short track, as the famous saying goes, there is method to the madness. There are no lyrics, but once you see the bigger picture, let a good thing go is a good indicator of the boundaries of creativity that Joe August likes to push sonically. It is a nice little interlude where we are able to immerse ourselves into the music even more and forms a nice bridge as music fans proceed to exploring the rest of the EP.
Roosevelt which follows I think is the part of the EP where Joe August really switches up the gears, and is showing us all those aces up his sleeve to give us one of the most satisfying and beautifully poetic songs you will ever stumble across. I like really liked the chorus especially the lines ‘I wish you well, but I need help, now I’m all by myself, I’m alone again, and I need you now as a friend’. For me hearing these lines infused into a song such as Roosevelt serve as a much needed reminder while you might feel like you are in a place of despair, something such as a friendly familiar face can make a whole world of a difference.
At first, when I heard ROOSEVELT I was slightly on the fence about the general lo-fi vibes, but later realised Joe's style is comforting and soothing as he tells this story.
The EP’s fifth track lost in you again sees Joe keeping us on our toes even more, as it the hidden gem which again offers something different with its touching and beautiful lyrics such as ‘ I took a walk down your street, you were the one I was hoping to see..and so I ask again, baby would you please be a friend?.
After what has been such an incredible experience Joe’s latest body of work comes to a close with the final track peace of me which such a sweet and precious song with encompassed with a boost of energy especially around the 2 minute 10 mark as Joe puts just some of his aces on the table the give us the most radiant ways to bring the EP to an end in sheer style.
LET A GOOD THING GO dropped on October 25th, and I have a feeling it will have a powerful impact in the ongoing evolution of Joe August. We look forward to hearing more from him. LET A GOOD THING GO is available on all major streaming platforms.
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Article By Thushara Chandrasiri
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