One of the absolute highlights of our recent Nashville jaunt was meeting up with Macartney Reinhardt in the flesh. Absolutely as talented and charming as we'd hoped for and as if further proof were needed it comes in the shape of her new single "New Beginning".
In essence it is two distinctly different sounding songs welded together. The first is definitely Americana sounding, the echoing vocals and percussion along with acoustic guitars evoke an almost desert soundscape.
"Packed my bags but I left your picture on the floor
I keep telling myself I'm fine, but I can't do it no more
Your old guitar echoes up and down this hallway
And I'd write a hundred songs just so I could talk to you babe"
As ever it is Macartney's phrasing that wins the day - the way that the word "Hallway" rises and is bathed in echo just adds an extra dimension.. The verse sees Macartney calling time on a relationship though with a slightly heavy heart, the chorus deals more with what comes next - the "new Beginning". When it arrives it signals a change of pace and sound, and is as pure and perfect a piece of pop music as you could ever wish to hear
"Like a whisper in the night, I'm blowing in the wind
Looking for the life and the love we could have been
Been walking in the desert where the shadows never end
But I'm learning to let go -
Thought we were forever, but forever didn't last
Now I'm running from my footsteps and memories in the past
Every mile, every minute I get closer to a new beginning"
The second verse, very much sees Macartney, sassy and confident, moving on with her life yet there still remains a hint of something not quite resolved that she can't quite let go of.
"With every sunset I get further from feeling this pain
With every teardrop truck stop, I keep rolling down this worn out highway
Like a phoenix rising up from the ashes
I'm a wildfire burning right past this
I've sung a hundred songs just trying to talk to you babe"
The bridge echoes the feeling of things being unresolved.
"Another motel key and some clothes wrinkled in a suitcase
I'm still singing this song, just trying to talk to you babe"
It's another great addition to the Reinhardt repertoire and we here at #TEAMw21 cannot wait to see quite how far she will go in 2025.