B-Side Guys

The distance between intention and execution often determines whether an independent release feels like a genuine artistic statement or merely an exercise in possibility. With Babylon, arriving July 16th via streaming platforms, Cameron Lochridge and his collaborators have crafted something that occupies the more rewarding end of that spectrum—six songs that feel both rooted in tradition and restless with contemporary anxiety.

Producer MW Hamilton has shaped these tracks into what’s described as an “ambiguous story format,” and that narrative threading becomes immediately apparent. The EP doesn’t unfold as a collection of individual songs but rather as interconnected vignettes that examine departure, consequence, and the weight of choices made in youth. Cameron Lochridge’s background as a marine veteran surfaces subtly throughout, not as explicit autobiography but as an undercurrent that informs the album’s preoccupation with displacement and homecoming.

“Hometown Baby” establishes the collection’s emotional geography with its ambient guitar work and strategic piano placement. The production creates space around Cameron’s distinctive vocals, allowing each line to carry the weight it deserves. His voice demands attention not through volume but through its particular grain—weathered enough to suggest experience, clear enough to ensure every word lands with precision. The song introduces themes of escape and entrapment that will resonate throughout the EP, painting small-town life as both suffocating limitation and the foundation from which all subsequent movement must be measured.

The genre fluidity that defines the collection becomes evident with “Keep On Rolling,” where folk and country elements blend without feeling forced. Joseph Shackelford’s fiddle work doesn’t merely provide texture; it serves as a bridge between the song’s nostalgic elements and its forward momentum. The track carries echoes of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, but Lochridge avoids the trap of imitation. Instead, he uses those influences as launching points for his own explorations of persistence and movement through uncertainty.

“The River” showcases the guitar interplay between Cameron and his brother Andy, demonstrating how technical proficiency can serve emotional storytelling. The track sits comfortably between traditional and southern rock approaches, but its strength lies in how the arrangement supports the lyrical content rather than overwhelming it. Andy’s guitar work provides both foundation and commentary, creating a musical conversation that mirrors the internal dialogue the songs explore.

The title track “Babylon” represents the EP’s most ambitious moment, pulling together all the collection’s thematic and musical elements. The production choices here—from the haunting background vocals to the driving rhythmic foundation—create an atmosphere of urban alienation that contrasts sharply with the rural imagery of earlier tracks. This isn’t coincidental; the song serves as the collection’s emotional pivot point, where the desire for escape meets the reality of displacement. The lyrics reference both contemporary urban experience and biblical imagery, creating layers of meaning that reward careful attention.

“Lights Go Out” emerges as perhaps the most immediately memorable track, though its accessibility doesn’t diminish its complexity. The melodic framework provides an anchor for what becomes a meditation on perception and self-knowledge. The production emphasizes the song’s journey into darkness both literally and metaphorically, with instrumental choices that support rather than distract from the vocal performance. The throwback elements feel earned rather than nostalgic, suggesting continuity with folk traditions rather than retreat into them.

The EP concludes with “Wings,” featuring piano composition and outro work from Third Block. This collaboration demonstrates the project’s collaborative spirit while maintaining its cohesive vision. The track’s somber, reflective character provides appropriate closure for the collection’s exploration of departure and return. The piano work doesn’t simply provide accompaniment; it creates dialogue with the vocal line, suggesting the complexity of emotions that resist simple resolution.

Throughout Babylon, the lyrical content reveals Lochridge’s strength as a storyteller who understands that specificity serves universality. References to New Orleans, dead-end roads, and blue-eyed boys create concrete imagery that grounds more abstract emotional content. The military background surfaces in subtle ways—mentions of Vietnam, rifles, and references to paying for sins—but these elements never feel heavy-handed or exploitative. Instead, they provide context for the collection’s broader examination of consequence and survival.

The production work by MW Hamilton deserves particular recognition for creating coherence without sacrificing the distinct character of individual tracks. The ambient elements never overwhelm the performances, and the genre shifts feel organic rather than calculated. The overall sound suggests a band comfortable with their influences but not constrained by them, willing to let songs develop according to their own internal logic rather than external expectations.

Babylon succeeds because it understands that effective independent music requires both ambition and restraint. Lochridge & Co. have created an EP that satisfies immediate listening while revealing additional layers upon return visits. The collection’s film and television sync potential feels natural rather than forced, emerging from the songs’ cinematic qualities rather than calculated commercial appeal. In exploring themes of departure, consequence, and the search for home, they’ve crafted work that feels both personal and broadly resonant, suggesting a project with staying power beyond its initial release.