Song Review - 6000 Miles

6000 MILES

by The Waifs

Album: Beautiful You (out August 14, 2015)

I don't have it in me to say anything bad about The Waifs. Not that they've ever given me any reason to. Their music is excellent and I'm sure they're excellent people because they write excellent music. My logic works, just go with it. Anyway, I'm one of those Australians that spent some time in London and made good use of a song like 'London Still' while I was over there. But years before that I was in the United States, bonding with someone who would become a friend for life as we sang 'Bridal Train' countless times and talked endlessly about how amazing Vikki Thorn, Donna Simpson and Josh Cunningham were. These chats usually involved cheap vodka, clove cigarettes and some pancakes from IHOP. Because we were nineteen, classy and... America! The Waifs are a band that will always make me smile and they've given me a whole lot more to smile about with the release of '6000 Miles', which previews their seventh studio album, Beautiful You. 

Fans of the once-Perth based act will love everything about '6000 Miles', a track that's sure to win over many a new fan too. A faultless vocal performance from Thorn, undeniable in its raw beauty, manages to find that sweet spot right in the middle of joy and heartbreak. Now residing in Utah, Thorn casts her thoughts 6000 miles across the ocean to her former home of Albany in Western Australia. It might seem a little bit like 'London Still' version 2.0, but that's not a bad thing. When the music and the performance is this good, it could never be a bad thing. While thematically similar, '6000 Miles' is an entirely different listening experience to 'London Still'. The strong presence of the band throughout leaves a lasting impression, particularly the moments Cunningham steals your attention away with his bluesy guitar lines. The song builds nicely to Thorn's standout moment. "I've never really had a true way with words, but God knows I love to sing." You can tell she loves to sing, but I have to disagree with her not having a way with words. She remains one of our greatest songwriting exports. 

This is a wonderful re-introduction to one of our favourite folky acts and leaves me looking forward to August when we get to hear all of Beautiful You. It looks like The Waifs will also be back in Australia the following month, with their Beautiful You tour kicking off in Kalgoorlie on September 10. That's a tour we'd call a must see for fans of the musics and '6000 Miles' is one song I'd call a must listen. There's not a single bad thing to say about it. 

Matt Bond gives '6000 Miles' four Michael Hutchence heads out of five...