Sweetlove: “Goodnight, Lover.” (2021) CD Review

Sweetlove is a talented singer and songwriter who grew up in Simi Valley, California. She released her debut album, Dirty Sunday, back in 2017, under the name Wendy Sweetlove (her given name is Wendy Piatt). Her new release, Goodnight, Lover., is an EP of all original material co-written by Piatt. These songs have a strong emotional core, the material having emerged during a period of grief following the deaths of three important people in her life. Joining her on this release are Justin Glasco on keys, guitar, bass and percussion (he also produced the album); Jon Sosin on guitar; Adam Tressler on guitar; Brian Griffin on drums and percussion; Scotty Murray on steel guitar; Caroline Brooks on backing vocals; and Zach Berkman on backing vocals.

The EP opens with “Devil On Your Shoulder,” which has a good, solid groove and a dynamic vocal performance. “You’ve been sweet for your whole damn life/It ain’t fun when you do everything so right/So make friends with the devil on your shoulder.” Those lines strike me in part because of the name she records under, Sweetlove. It feels to me that perhaps she is singing to herself in the line “You’ve been sweet for your whole damn life.” Could it be a personal reprimand, or rather advice to herself as well as to us? This song has a great energy, and is about being in touch with yourself, honest with yourself, and not holding back. It isn’t urging us to be terrible or anything, but rather to allow ourselves to experience our truest selves, even when that self might not be appreciated by everyone. “When you do four out of five things right/Don’t let the fifth be the one that keeps you up at night.” That’s followed by the EP’s title track, “Goodnight, Lover,” a fantastic song with a wonderful, soulful, timeless vibe, and featuring an excellent vocal performance. This track’s opening lines, “Goodnight, lover/It’s hard hanging up the phone,” really work for me, particularly as my relationship was a long-distance one for a while and the phone was part of what kept us connected. “So goodnight, lover/Think I’m falling in your arms/And when I’m in my dreams, I’m only dreaming of you and I alone.”

“The House” is a beautiful, sad, engaging and moving song. “Some days you gotta let it rain/Some days you gotta sleep it off/Some days you don’t know what to say/And rub the right people wrong.” This is one of my personal favorites. It’s a song that, if you allow it, will cause you to just let go and cry. Sometimes it is good to not have to hold it together. You know? This song got on top of me, its main line being “Sometimes the house wins.” You can feel the tender ache, not just in her vocals, but in the other instruments. Then “Did You Even Know” has a steady rhythm that seems to move things forward, even as Sweetlove sings “I can feel you slipping through my fingers/Holding on to what could have been.” And you get the sense that beat is pushing toward a loss. Ah, if only we could slow it down (as she sings in the opening line, “When your days are numbered you count them slower”), perhaps she could hold on. Or is the beat her heart, her desire, her power, the strong pulse of the song? “Did you even know I loved you, I loved you/Did you even know?”

The line “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” comes from an old Irish toast: “May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.” And, like that toast, this song has a sweet and hopeful vibe, though is about death. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “The space is empty/And all your voices in my head, they have not left me/They say don’t worry about me, darling, I’m just resting/But don’t forget me.” There is a pretty and gentle and affectionate feel to this one. And I love Scotty Murray’s work on steel guitar. Don’t be surprised if you find tears in your eyes while listening to this track. The disc then concludes with “Things I Didn’t Say.” This is the song that initially got me excited about this release when I first heard it in late January. It is a magnificent song. Check out these lines, which open the song: “I took off my makeup, and took on the madness/Been taking it easy, wish we could’ve had this/But I keep remembering the last time I saw you/We got high in the mountains/We were greater than sadness.” Those are some excellent lyrics. And what a vocal performance! This is an emotionally engaging song; just give yourself to this one. “I love your madness, and all of your sadness.” So beautiful. At the end, the line “It’s all right, love, you can rest easy now” is repeated, almost a mantra to the deceased, trying to calm the spirit. And perhaps a message to herself as well.

CD Track List

1. Devil On Your Shoulder
2. Goodnight, Lover
3. The House
4. Did You Even Know
5. Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
6. Things I Didn’t Say

Goodnight, Lover. is scheduled to be released on March 26, 2021. You can check it out (and pre-save it) by clicking here.