Review: "Good News" - Conner Cherland
- Taylor Sheridan Lempke
- Jun 20
- 2 min read
Conner Cherland offers a gentle reminder to open your heart to new beginnings in his latest release, “Good News.” Even as he keeps his head up, it’s easy to trip over the past. Painful memories stick out like tree roots emerging from the ground. Naturally, we might stumble off the comfortable path. Cherland sings, “Even when you’re sad and quiet/ Could you wait to hear the answer/ That would love you through the silence.” Discovering another path delights us with a new direction. I can recall times when silence feels lonely, but then, there are the peaceful moments when a deer finds safety in the shared stillness. When life looks unfamiliar, take on the moment as a good beginning. Bad moments might lead to something better.
“Good News” feels like sunshine reaching through the leaves after rainfall. The acoustic guitar grounds listeners in organic happiness, evoking a sense of serenity reminiscent of a trickling stream or birds chirping. The organ synth adds to the clean, calm soundscape. It’s tender and reminds us how sacred the present is. The world frightens us with loss and rejection. However, each failure offers a new beginning, just as nature presents a space of solitude. Cherland has a voice like Hozier, pouring raw emotion into each soundwave. Breathe in and breathe out. There’s a fresh start around the corner.
Cherland engraves vulnerability in each song, delicately crafted to touch listeners’ hearts. In 2023, he released LAKE, his first full-length album that explored themes of grief and love. The Blasting Company, best known for the Over the Garden Wall soundtrack, mentored Cherland. His 2024 EP Two Years Time continued that emotional journey, pairing each track with a hand-carved wooden figure. He began writing music at USCB and self-released a series of EPs, from 2016’s Wanting Man to Call in 2022. His inspirations are Sufjan Stevens, City and Colour, and Ed Sheeran. “Good News” offers guidance that there is hope even when we stumble.
Written By Taylor Sheridan Lempke
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