Album Reviews,  Music

Sean Whiting Envisions Life In A “Perfect World”

Kentucky music is where it’s at. Even during a pandemic, Kentuckians keep cranking out music that somehow, someway, continues to change the musical landscape. Look no further than the bluegrass release from Sturgill Simpson that debuted at number one on the Billboard Charts, or even the politically enlightened release from Tyler Childers. Chris Stapleton is slowly introducing the world to his next release as well. So there is no shortage of powerful Kentucky voices making the world a better place.

I present to you now, yet another powerful Kentucky voice, and I mean that in every sense of the word. Allow me to make that trio of Southeastern Kentuckians into a quartet for ya by introducing you to Johnson County native, Sean Whiting. Whiting’s voice is as powerful as the diesels he once drove for a living and you’re gonna walk away from this article as a fan.

Photo courtesy of Sam Rogers

In fact, I’ve often placed the “biggest male voice in Kentucky” moniker on Sean in the past. His humbleness simply deflects that kind of praise, but I think his newest release will add an extra layer to my reasoning and hopefully, this article will help shed more light on this amazing young man.

So hear me out, Whiting’s voice is at it’s strongest when he mashes down on the loud pedal and the diesel smoke pours out of the stacks. That’s obvious to anyone who has ever heard him. So if he’s new to ya, take a listen to a couple of his previous tracks, and we’ll wait for ya to get caught up on the other side.

Sean Whiting – “I’m Gonna Love You”:

Sean Whiting – “Just The Same”:

You’re hooked now aren’t ya? That’s okay. We all are, so welcome to the club.

I do digress, so back to the task at hand. Whiting is back with a brand new song titled, “Perfect World.” Let’s go ahead and take a quick listen to “Perfect World.”

As you’ve now heard, Sean is at his best when he’s able to unleash at the top of his lungs and that’s exactly why “Perfect World” is so important. I know what you’re thinking. “Wait, what? This song is really slow. You’re making no sense.” That’s okay, again, just hear me out.

See, with a voice like Whiting’s, pulling back is actually difficult, so if the song isn’t the right fit, you can lose some of the intrigue and the power that drew you in to begin with. BUT, when the balance is there and you’re allowed to simply bask in Whiting’s tone, while being treated to the occasional unleash, there’s your sweet spot…and it’s beautiful.

In essence, and my humble opinion, I think “Perfect World” may be the best example of said sweet spot for Sean. The balance is there to put your focus on the message and allows you to see how much Sean has grown as a songwriter over the past few years.

Having said all that, what if I told you this song was never really intended to be released? What if I told you this song is from a live recording session? Would ya believe me? Well, ya better because Sean told me that that is indeed exactly what happened.

Whiting stated, “Perfect World was recorded live on August 2, 2020 in Jackson, Ky at Fat Cave Studios with engineer and studio owner, Sam Rogers. It was originally intended as part of a live performance series called The Fat Cave Sessions but as luck would have it, the recording went well enough that the decision was made to release the song as part of an EP.”

Sean continued, “That will be coming out in early 2021 and it will contain “Perfect World”, another new song, a cover and a few songs from older bands that I was a part of. There may just be some more music to come out of the Fat Cave Session, but more on that at a later date.”

Whiting put together a brand new stellar band and their talents are on full display. Recruiting Austin Lewis on the electric guitar, Trevor Litteral on bass, Clarke Sexton on drums, and of course Sean Whiting adding the vocals and a second acoustic guitar.

So there ya have it, if you like what you hear, stay tuned. There’s more goodness to come as Sean Whiting readies for a better world for us all in 2021. I mean, the soundtrack is already shaping up to be fantastic. Am I right?!

You can keep up with all things Sean Whiting at his website here.  While you’re at it, find your favorite spot to stream “Perfect World” here.