Self-proclaimed “non-binary cowboy” CJ Wiley is finally releasing their debut album, So Brand New. The Canadian singer-songwriter released the record’s first single a little bit over a year ago, teasing their audience about what was to come. Now, we finally have the eight-track LP to enjoy a blend of rock, country, and even folk. Because the artist’s genre-defying style is a testament to their unlimited creativity and eagerness to explore music free from prejudices.
It all started with No One Like U, the first single, which also happens to be the opener of the album. With great skill at storytelling, CJ Wiley speaks of loss but also of giving second chances: “Happy to be travelling / Glad to have you back again,” they sing. That topic (that of loss, grief, but also of hope and making wrong things right) is present throughout the album, especially in songs like Don’t Die Charlie. Speaking of the song, CJ Wiley says it’s “ about my decade-long battle with addiction and the grief I still carry for the friends I lost along the way. […] There’s a sense of guilt that comes with surviving, knowing how easily it could’ve been me who didn’t make it out.”
With a unique blend of country (more prevalent in songs like Get Paid and Growing Out my Hair) and rock (which predominates in tracks like People Please and Don’t Die Charlie), and also infusing it with a bit of folk and ballad (like songs So Brand New and Adelaide), CJ Wiley transforms personal tragedy into highly relatable songs, proving that being vulnerable pays off. Produced by Boy Golden and mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Lawrence, the Toronto artist’s debut album is a great step towards a successful future in the music industry.
Now that the record is out, CJ Wiley is preparing to embark on a tour that will take them through different cities across North America and the Uk, including Montreal, Toronto, London, and Brighton. So if you’re around, you might want to hear this emerging artist before they blow up.