
Closing out the year in a reflective mood is Ashley Cooke with her latest single "It's Been A Year". Ashley has been a stalwart of the W21music New Country Playlist and this single provides ample evidence of why she seems set to take C2C 2023 by storm next year. This is storytelling at its finest, deceptively simple at first but there's many layers to be peeled away.
It starts in almost haphazard way as we here Ashley setting herself up and settling herself down in readiness to sing, counting in the song. In reality it is mainly Ashey's acoustic guitar doing most of the work on this track - although as we said at the start it is deceptively simple, th elittle background electric guitar flourishes, so subtle yet so atmospheric could almost pass by unnoticed.
The first verse is distinctly personal but perfectly chimes with the thoughts many of us have at this time of year as you think about folks that you have not seen - a feeling amplified after the period of Lockdown and so instantly within th eopening lines we are with Ashley - we know exactly the feelings she is decscribing because they are universally shared.
"It's been a year
Since I've been back to Sarasota
My grandparents are gettin' older
And if I had to guess
It's been a year
Since my best friend had her baby girl
Now she's got a whole new world
And I ain't even met her yet"
There's a real sense of time passing in that opening verse - and of events passing that cannot be recreated - Those early baby years and the potential risk of never seeing elderly elderly relatives again. and that best friend moving on without her.
There's a brief moment of reflection on why that might be - and that "Damn" seems to carry an awful lot of regret
"I've kept my head down grindin'
Just looked up and realized it
Damn, it's been a year"
before the chorus goes on to tell us a little more about how this set of circumstances has come to pass
"And I ain't sayin' it ain't been a good one
It's been a "did a lot more than I thought I could" one
It's been three hundred sixty-five
Of record lows and record highs"
The second verse is even more personal, more tinged with regret.
"It's been a year
Since I watched him walk on out that door
And I wish I'd fought a little more
Still feels like yesterday
But it's been a year"
The final chorus has a neat little twist as it seems that Ashley is relaying these thoughts to someone in a bar in perhaps the early sparks of a friendship. It's also a subtle invitation to the listener to check her out more!!
"For the minute you got, it's probably a lot
More than you wanna hear
If you're hangin' around, I can tell you about it
But it might take another beer"
It really seems set for Ashley to take the UK by storm following in the footsteps of another couple of Ashley's from previous years - if she thinks last year was big - just wait till till 2023 in London & Glasgow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Cufm26ED4