REVIEW: Lachlan Neville’s ‘Arizona’

by Scott Roos

Graphic by @blakeberglund

cover photo by @littlejackfilms

Our Grade: B

Released July 7th, Lachlan Neville’s “Arizona” is a lyrically thoughtful single that continues his journey as one of Saskatchewan’s emerging folk/country voices. There’s a strong sense of care and craft in the writing - an energetic yet wistful look at distance, longing, and landscape, told through Neville’s distinctive songwriting lens.

"I try to write at least once a week every week to just get better…,” Neville told NSMZ in the summer of 2024, “I think (songwriting is) a craft and I take it very seriously."

That perseverance is felt in the song’s emotional undercurrent. Unfortunately, Blake Berglund's production choices tend to get in the way. “Arizona” leans heavily into folk-country instrumentation - prominent steel guitar and electric guitar, sweeping fiddle lines, and a polished finish that feels at odds with the song’s introspective core. Instead of drawing the listener inward to focus on what Neville is attempting to convey, the arrangement often crowds the space, softening the emotional impact. The instrumentation is… busy.

There’s also a noticeable melodic familiarity in the verses, reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy.” Something about the structure and phrasing recalls the intro motif of that classic tune. While this isn’t inherently a flaw - folk music thrives on shared musical language - in this case, it borders on sounding a little too familiar. It’s the kind of thing that might distract more seasoned listeners who’ve heard those Lightfoot-esque contours before. Once you hear the similarities, it cannot be unheard.

Still, lyrically, Neville’s voice as a songwriter is growing more assured, and his influences are worn with pride. He's cited Bob Dylan as an early hero - not just for the writing, but for the artistic independence Dylan represented. Neville’s tried to model himself accordingly.

"(His) voice was so captivating, delivering those songs, and he changed himself consistently…. Artists that I love tend to kind of work within those parameters of like, ‘I'm not part of the genre, I'm not part of the movement, I'm not part of this or that. I'm just writing songs and I'm trying to do different things to reward myself.’ It's a selfish endeavor, I think. If you're writing songs for other people, they're not going to be very good,” Neville told NSMZ.

That sense of artistic freedom is something Neville clearly values - and you can sense he’s still feeling out how to align that ethos with his production choices. “Arizona” shows promise, even if the full vision doesn’t quite land. With a more stripped-down approach -something looser, more grounded - this song could really shine.

Neville is a travelling minstrel, a troubadour in the truest sense, and we still wait expectantly for his recorded output to reflect that direction. The man, a guitar, and not much more -that’s where he’s arguably at his best.

Bottom line, this is a well-written track that gets a little lost in its own polish. There’s a stronger, simpler version of “Arizona” waiting in the wings — and if Neville trusts his instincts, he’ll find it.

Neville performing as a tweener at the 2024 Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival (photo by Deanna Roos)