B-Side Guys

Check engine lights aren’t supposed to be profound metaphors, but Cat Ridgeway’s latest single “Sprinter” transforms this everyday annoyance into a devastating examination of mental health and loss. Released today, the track serves as both the namesake and emotional centerpiece of her upcoming album, crafting an intricate narrative about the warning signs we choose to ignore.

The Orlando-based multi-instrumentalist, known for her genre-bending approach and impressive musical versatility, strips away any pretense in this raw exploration of grief. Working with mentor Livingston Taylor to refine the lyrics, Ridgeway builds her narrative through accumulating details that feel painfully familiar: unreturned calls, postponed meetings, unread emails. Each verse adds weight to the central metaphor until it buckles under the pressure of reality.

“Mental health so often gets treated like a nuisance, something that should be ignored, hidden, or not taken too seriously,” Ridgeway explains, and her lyrics mirror this observation with brutal accuracy. Lines like “Used to move so slow / I guess only God would know / Why you rushed the end of your life” deliver emotional truth without sacrificing poetic craft.

The production, helmed by Mike Savino (of Kishi Bashi and Tall Tall Trees fame), creates space for both the intimacy of personal loss and the universality of the message. The song builds from quiet observation to raw confrontation, culminating in the gut-punch questions “WERE YOU JUST TOO PROUD? / WAS I JUST TOO LOUD?” before settling into the quieter reflection of “I wish you reached out and / I wish I had reached in…”

What makes “Sprinter” particularly powerful is how it weaves its titular metaphor throughout the narrative. The subject’s identity as a track star becomes both literal detail and metaphorical framework, with Ridgeway noting, “My friend was a runner, which I found poetic because of how much she metaphorically ran from her problems.” This layered meaning extends through the track’s structure, building momentum like a runner approaching the finish line, only to reveal that this particular race had no victory lap.

As the lead single from her forthcoming album of the same name, “Sprinter” suggests a bold evolution for Ridgeway. While her previous work earned her accolades including multiple “Best Singer-Songwriter” wins from Orlando Weekly and attention from artists like Tegan and Sara, this track demonstrates a new depth in her songwriting. The raw honesty and careful craftsmanship suggest an artist willing to dig deep into personal pain to extract universal truth.

The song stands as both eulogy and warning, managing to honor a specific loss while illuminating the broader crisis of mental health stigma. Through Ridgeway’s skillful storytelling, that ignored check engine light becomes something far more urgent: a reminder that some warnings shouldn’t wait until tomorrow.