B-Side Guys

Sometimes the most profound insights arrive through the simplest questions. On “Fit Together,” Ontario-born Billy Raffoul poses one that reverberates far beyond its initial hearing: “If I wasn’t broke, how would we fit together?” This disarmingly straightforward inquiry serves as both the song’s lyrical center and its philosophical framework, exploring how our fractures might actually be prerequisites for genuine connection.

Raffoul, who has steadily built his audience through a succession of EPs before stripping things back on his 2020 debut album International Hotel, returns with a track that balances his raw vocal prowess with deceptively sophisticated songcraft. The head-nodding riff and mellow drumbeat create a foundation that feels both timeless and contemporary, allowing his distinctively weathered voice—which carries echoes of Joe Cocker’s grit and Jeff Buckley’s emotional precision—to explore vulnerable emotional territory without veering into sentimentality.

What distinguishes “Fit Together” within the crowded singer-songwriter landscape is its embrace of brokenness as connective tissue rather than obstacle. As Raffoul explains, “It’s the idea you’re only able to find the right person or right thing because of what you’ve gone through. The concept is really just two busted-up people kind of filling in each other’s cracks.” This kintsukuroi approach to relationships—where the repair becomes part of the beauty—offers a refreshing counternarrative to idealized romantic storytelling.

The track serves as preview of Raffoul’s forthcoming self-titled album (due July 18 via Nettwerk), which he describes as “very intentional”—a collection inspired partly by witnessing how his love songs resonated with audiences during a South African tour. This global perspective has apparently expanded his artistic vision, with Raffoul noting, “I wanted to explore more of the planet. I’ve showcased every part of myself in each song.”

For an artist who has navigated various stylistic territories before stripping back to basics on International Hotel (recorded with just a pair of mics, acoustic guitar, and harmonica), “Fit Together” suggests a thoughtful evolution—maintaining the emotional directness of his earlier work while incorporating subtle production elements that enhance rather than obscure his narrative voice.

As son of respected regional solo artist Jody Raffoul, Billy seems to have inherited not just musical aptitude but an understanding that the most universal stories often emerge from specific emotional landscapes. On “Fit Together,” he’s crafted a love song that acknowledges how our individual damage might actually be what makes connection possible—a paradox as musically satisfying as it is emotionally truthful.