“Where you’re from doesn’t matter when becoming who you are,” Orlando Caston said of the message behind his intimate single, Tennessee Whiskey
Orlando Caston has triumphed over stereotypes on Tennessee Whiskey, a guitar-led ballad that serves as the singer-songwriter’s sophomore single.
Opening with the warm twang of acoustics, the track coasts on sparse yet commanding guitar melodies, which provide ample room for the infectious drawl of Caston’s vocals.
So enrapturing is the guitar that it immediately sets the scene for a sonic story, as if Caston is reciting the lyrics around a campfire. For all its simplistic instrumentation, Tennessee Whisky is not without its punchier moments.
Caston later introduces sporadic drums and rhythmic finger-click percussion, but these new textures never outshine his storytelling.
In a music scene dominated by ostentatious production and gaudy lyrics, it’s rare to find a song as intimate and effortless as Tennessee Whiskey.
Much of this boils down to the raw and candid energy of Caston’s vocals, with twangs and country flairs that recall the likes of his contemporaries like Luke Combs.
Here, Caston delivers his lines with a melodic tenderness, with a voice that feels purpose-built for the sparsity of the production.
The country influences appear elsewhere on the track, from the subtle pluck of a banjo to chanting backing harmonies that adorn the outro. Forefronting Caston’s vocals proves to be fruitful, since the musician is just as focussed on his lyricsim.
With diaristic precision, Caston paints vivid portraits of the stereotypes we might associate with the American South, and indeed with country music itself. The singer sketches tangible scenes like living “in-between towns” or the departure of his muse.
Speaking of the song’s message in a press statement, Caston said Tennessee Whiskey is a way to “state that stereotypes and where you’re from doesn’t matter when becoming who you are and choosing an answer to situations that you face.”
While the track would mark a feat for any musician, Tennessee Whiskey is especially impressive given Caston’s greenness in the scene.
At just 20-years old, the singer has laid bare his artistry with a sophomore single that’s as tender as it is commanding. Listen to Orland Caston’s new single Tennessee Whiskey below.
