Upon my first listen of Cayley Thomas’s new single, “Blue Jean Baby,” I excitedly looked up her previous 2016 “Weird Love” album to give her a more thorough listen. This was the first I had heard from this Canadian singer-songwriter and there was no hesitation in adding her to my music library. She has lovely voice with plenty of range and her music is refreshingly different from the boring repetitiveness of main-stream music radio. Originally from Edmonton, AB, Cayley now resides in Toronto, ON, and it’s clear she enjoys singing about a common thread – love – and she artistically delivers her view about all forms of it.
As such, it came as no surprise that “Blue Jean Baby” mirrored the same theme, this time with a little more soul. Starting off with a smooth melody of bass and drums I found myself immediately swaying to the bluesy-rock tune. Thomas’s voice, beautifully low and slow, captured my ears. Almost as if she was singing to the pace of molasses dripping down the side of a jar, where she had me entranced, hoping that drip would never reach the table top.
The song reflects on a relationship, dare I say a loving one, as the lyrics soon prove otherwise. It’s the kind of love surely we all can relate to dealing with at one point in our lives. “Blue Jean Baby explores the pattern of feeling responsible for the emotions or actions of other at the expense of our own wellness,” Cayley explains. “It’s like when you’re on an airplane and they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before assisting other passengers.” Indeed, Thomas gives us the view as if she’s finally seeing it play out from the outside in. She knows it’s toxic but continues to go through the motions, admitting in her repeated lyrics “A love like yours will do me in” throughout the song.
Expecting the song to end just as smoothly as it started, Thomas surprises us with an ear full of what I believe to be a purposefully placed combination of sounds; one last attempt to connect the listener with the craziness that can come about from staying in a mentally draining relationship. The end, perhaps, subliminally telling us that she was finally “done in” and over it?
“Blue Jean Baby” is out now to listen to on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, with her full length “How Else Can I Tell You” album available on May 1st. I’m looking forward to hearing what more Cayley has to tell us, and hope you are too!
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Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
