Recommended Tracks: “Oops I Love You”, “Love Me Wrong”
Artists You May Like: Shantaia, Nicole Rayy, Little Big Town
The universe has a funny way of presenting us with information. It gives us signs when we least expect them, people at the perfect time, or objects that may hold more meaning upon further inspection. We can ignore these messages or spend weeks or years determining their significance, but country pop trio The Buckleys think it’s best to embrace them in the moment. As we hear on their new EP, Take It As It Comes, there may not be a specific reason or rhyme as to what we are handed in life, but it is important to accept what comes our way and see what happens.
The EP adopts a breezy, fun-loving spirit with its first few tracks. The warm and expressive country vocals and lively pop production heard on the opening track, which is also the title track, put us in a good place. It is the epitome of living and loving, giving us lines like “Listen to the sound of two hearts in harmony / Could we all take a step back and be thankful for what we have?” We then get into some flirty territory with “Oops I Love You” and “What Ya Gonna Do About It.” Both tracks are about coming onto someone, whether on accident or on purpose. In the end, they celebrate acceptance as “Oops I Love You” mentions, “My mistakes are yours to take,” and “What Ya Gonna Do About It” asking, “Would you try to stop me if I let you in?”
The last two tracks on the EP continue to touch on love and its reckless tendencies. On “Fool Me,” we hear about falling back in love with someone even if it seems wrong. Over a soft, intimate production, lead vocalist Sarah Buckley shares, “We both know what this is / I can’t not let you in,” and asks, “Did we start something we can’t finish? / Could it be right to be so wrong with you?” The topic of ‘wrong vs right’ comes up again on closing track “Love Me Wrong,” which begs for a love that is healthy and secure. There is a smooth and wistful nature about the track, made all the more potent with the line, “Be kind, be gentle, and love / But don’t love me wrong.” With bright guitar wails, the song comes to a close, bringing us back to that good place we visited at the beginning of the EP.
Overall, Take It As It Comes pushes The Buckleys further into the bubbly country pop realm we heard on their debut album, Daydream, two years ago. This playful sound suits the group just fine, its youthful quality adding to the stories we hear on the EP. The project is all about taking chances and acting on notions we can’t quite explain but feel deeply, saving reservations and doubts for another day. The Buckleys do well to maintain that it’s in our best interest to take life as it comes, because if we don’t, are we really living?
You can listen to Take It As It Comes on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Keep up with The Buckleys: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // YouTube // Website
