Charles Wesley Godwin is one of, if not my favorite country singers of all-time. He’s just one of my favorite singers. Period. Any genre.
His voice is ethereal. I genuinely cannot get enough of it, which means that I am always searching for new songs by him or even something featuring him to enjoy.
That’s how I stumbled across Union Sound Treaty. I can’t even remember what song I first listened to, but as soon as the lyrics came in, I knew it was Godwin’s voice. It’s so distinct.
The band began in 2015 with Godwin as lead singer along with Ross Justice, Nate Colombo, John Schooley, and Shawn Wilhelm. And while they only have one album out, it is one hell of an album.
Because Charles Wesley Godwin has such a unique and distinct voice, each song just gives the same vibes as one from his solo discography. But while Godwin has a more stripped back sound that really focuses on his voice, the instruments are much more prominent on these songs. Obviously, this is a band, not a solo artist.
Still, the vibe is immaculate… especially on songs like “Sad Country Standards” and “Soul Like Mine.” One of the coolest songs is called “Peaked,” which begins with Godwin telling a quick anecdote about being called on stage to sing a couple songs at a concert he was at while studying in Estonia. He then got a call from fashion designer who asked him to sing at a show.
The song goes on to claim that the singer peaked at the first concert he ever played. It’s got this really neat old school outlaw vibe that reminds me of a laid-back Charlie Daniels Band song or of “The Ride” by David Allan Coe.
Fans of Godwin will even get a nice surprise with the inclusion of the song “Needle Fall Down,” which is also featured on Godwin’s second album How the Mighty Fall.
Overall, the album is pretty great and a lot of fun to listen to. Here are some of the songs you definitely need to check out.
“Needle Fall Down”
“Peaked”
“Sad Country Standards”
“Hazelton”