Last Time Only: “Where I Begin” – an impressive range of acoustic pop and punk

‘Last Time Only’ is genuinely a phenomenon. It has been years since any musician or group of musicians completely engrossed me. But Jared Woodruff aka Last Time Only, has totally got me. He is a songwriter of great talent – his music, a blend of acoustic pop and punk, is all melodies and lyrics. The melodies are weaving and exciting.

They are never derivative and the fit perfectly with the lyrics. Woodruff’s voice has an impressive range, and is full of emotion. As a lyricist, he has an amazing knack of writing exactly what you are thinking, of being honest and open, and of saying all the things you wish you’d said – to yourself, your friends, current and former lovers, and to the world.

Here, on his second EP, since 2015’s “Past+Present=No Future”, “Where I Begin” feels totally natural, as once again Woodruff treats us to songs about life and love. For me, Last Time Only has the ability to send shivers down your spine in almost any of his songs, written about almost any subject. These vary from the spectacular acoustic-guitar driven “Where I Begin” to the heart-rending “Snow”.

In between, my favorite is probably “Dreams and Nightmares”, an incredibly catchy and wonderfully warm song about his travels on the road. Either that, or the amazingly melodic, “Lost But Never Found”.  If you love Last Time Only, you won’t be disappointed by these tracks. If you don’t know anything about Last Time Only, then you should!

I can’t imagine Last Time Only can go on without developing a huge following. Woodruff has a great voice, but what’s most notable about it is its raw emotion, which fits his bluntly honest lyrics. He is the real deal; he is genuine, a very talented song writer and lyricist and he captures the passion he has in every single song he writes.

His songs are highly relatable and it’s as if they know you on an almost personal level. I would imagine that the only thing better than his recorded music is his live performances, based on his  raw, powerful and genuine deliveries –  “I want to be on the road,” says Woodruff, “cause it seems as though, it’s the only time I’m not alone” – Lending even more credibility to my theory.

I won’t go into a dissection of each song, nor do I have some tirade about the meanings and references. What I will give you is a sincere endorsement of an earnest, singer-songwriter exposing his soul for your listening pleasure. And a pleasure it is. Most songs are just Last Time Only, an acoustic guitar and an incredible story.

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