Cooper Waye – You Let Go (2021)
You never really know what you have until it is gone. This is something that has been threaded by Cooper Waye into the three tracks of You Let Go. While the EP is about the end of a relationship, each track touches on sadness, love, loneliness and nostalgia. As you work through the EP, you are inundated with these emotions and the roller coaster ride of healing after losing the fight to stay together.
With a mix of genres and styles, the EP touches on something very personal for Waye. Using his own experience of not realising what someone meant to him until they were gone, he pulls up relatable feelings and situations. With the help of Josh Rey on drums, Waye expresses his emotions and tells his story in a way that helps you feel connected and engaged.
The EP opens with ‘You’ which perfectly sets the tone. There is a deep RnB beat to the track with a dusting of autotune that brings a new edge to everything. Through the song, you can feel the sadness of a breakup while the vocals try to portray the depths of affection Waye feels for someone. There is an almost bittersweet feeling to the imploring of the lyrics and vocals that perfectly match the melody. Through Waye’s vocals, you can feel the overwhelming love he feels, but there is an undertone that makes you think this might not be reciprocated.
‘Let Go’ has a more organic feeling to the opening with a touch of pop to the RnB tones. There is a deep beat that bounces against your senses that is more trap than anything else. The vocals bring a thoughtful feeling to the track as he reflects on what he has done and his own emotions. The lyrics hit you with the thoughts and emotions that follow a breakup. They are enhanced by the vocals which have a lost quality to them like he is moving through life in a haze without connecting with anything.
The EP closes with ‘</3’ which brings you a sense of closure and the sense that you are healing. The lyrics have an apologetic vibe to them as he reflects on all the things he did wrong. Waye’s vocals have an imploring edge that tug at your heartstrings and get you to really listen to the message of the song. While there is an apology woven into the track, there is also a realisation of what he has lost. This is a wonderful end to the EP as it brings the healing you need and the understanding of what went wrong.
Cooper Waye works through a breakup and realising what he had now that it is gone in the tracks of You Let Go. Each song has a different vibe and tackles a new aspect of a breakup and the healing that follows. While unique, each song carries a thread of affection for someone and a touch of pleading.
Find out more about Cooper Waye on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
