Cliff Westfall - Baby You Win (2018)

New York-based country songwriter Cliff Westfall writes songs about heartache, loss, addiction… you know, funny songs. Or he can turn on a dime and dive headlong into a sentimental weeper. The Kentucky native delivers with a mixture of wit and bravado that, for Westfall, is central to what country music is all about. On his new album, "Baby You Win," he’s assembled a crew of some of New York’s best musicians to explore a new idea of Americana, drawing inspiration from sources often forgotten by the current country scene.

“I feel like the humor of people like Roger Miller, Don Gibson, and Del Reeves is neglected nowadays,” Westfall says. “A lot of current country music makes you want to ask, ‘Hey, does anybody remember laughter?’ And you know, it’s not really anything against what anyone else is doing, it’s just that the ability to laugh at your troubles seems to have gotten lost.”

The songs on "Baby You Win" are bitingly acerbic, dependent on the twisty puns, bittersweet humor, and turns of phrase that used to define country music.
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"Baby You Win" was produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, the Ramones, Antony and the Johnsons, Evan Dando) at Trout Recording in Brooklyn, NY, and renowned New York guitarist and songwriter Graham Norwood.
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“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.” -PopMatters
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“He writes songs that partake of the clever wordplay and sharp romantic wit that were the stock in trade of country songwriters 60 years ago, and he plays and sings them (accompanied by the cream of New York City’s Americana session-player crop) in a sweet, clear voice that you could listen to all day. What this is, is country music. The very best kind of country music.” -Rick Anderson, CD HotList