Despite the heartache and heartbreak central to the song’s theme, Things You Left Behind by Erik Vincent Huey is an upbeat, energetic song that will have you swaying and singing along. Lyrically, the song is delivered as a list of items left by a former lover, often including humorous details about these everyday objects. For example, the cowgirl boots were her second favourites and the old love letter was never sent. It’s a relatable song of faded glory and, of course, the saddest thing left behind is Huey himself. However, the song is arranged and performed in such a manner that it actually lifts the spirits: the melody is catchy, the drums bounce with rhythm and the guitar jangles with light, bright refrains.
In the accompanying video, Huey stands on a set of railway tracks, holding up signs and sharing these items that represent his lost love. Of course, the inevitable happens at the end of the video with a train bearing down on him; we’re left with his signs and papers flying up into the wind in the wake of the hurtling locomotive. We’re left with a reassuring message that “No Erik Vincent Hueys were harmed during the making of this video“, reinforcing his humour.
As well as releasing solo material, Huey is known for being the frontman for cowpunk band The Surreal McCoys, described as a “…hipster doofus band” by Mojo Nixon. Thanks to popular mashup single Whole Lotta Folsom, the band has now amassed more than 3.5 million streams on Spotify alone. Huey’s last solo album, the acclaimed Appalachian Gothic, was an introspective, moody piece of work. This time around, Huey simply collected together a set of well-crafted songs rather than aiming for an overarching theme or feel. The resulting collection is Fort Defiance, which was produced by the celebrated Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (Joan Jett, Del-Lords, Steve Earle & The Dukes) and recorded at Ambel’s Cowboy Technical Services in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This tuneful collection of americana songs is out now – check it out.
