Vancouver artist, Geoff Gibbons, released his single, Waitin’ On A Train, in July of this year (2022) and we’ve been taking a listen to it today here at the Send Me Your Ears studio.
In Gibbons words; The idea for Waitin’ On a Train was born on a sleepless night where thoughts “crowd your head” And you wander through your mind looking for a ride to the morning.
Waitin’ On A Train starts with some beautiful picked guitar, reminiscent of a John Prine song, with moments of Fleetwood Mac’s , The Chain. Everything about the track is subtle. The drums and percussion sit perfectly and the subtle incidental guitar moments are to die for. This is a perfect example of Americana at its best, with touches of Appalachian influence.
Gibbons voice is smooth and warm, inviting you in to his world, and the delicate backing vocals add a whole new dimension.
We absolutely loved the use of tambourine on this track. It’s heavily reverbed and adds a real brightness to the song. As the track develops, a shaker is added as well and tiny changes like this are perfect to maintain the listener’s interest.
The whole track has a kind of laid back Notting Hillbillies feel to it. This feels like a song which would be perfectly placed in a TV show. Many music supervisors are seeking out quality acoustic tracks such as this, and we’d urge Gibbons to seek out these opportunities with this track.
To our ears, the track could use a tiny bit of EQing in the low end. In order to balance out the tone of that beautifully subtle kick drum, a cut at around 40Hz and a boost around 70Hz would reduce some boom and increase the more noticeable ‘thump’. Also, a cut around 160Hz where we felt that some of the warmth of the acoustic guitar is clashing with the low tones in the vocal track resulting in a slightly unclear ‘muddiness’.
Waitin’ On A Train is a beautifully warm track that instantly makes you feel comfortable. A song for fans of John Prine, for sure, this veteran songwriter has produced a track which will stand the test of time.