23. June 2025
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Media Review

The Castellows – Homecoming EP

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

The Castellows - Homecoming

The Castellows - Homecoming
4.1

Rating

 4.1/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Typical The Castellows sound with beautiful harmonies
  • Nice blending between traditional and modern sounds

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Too little variety

From zero to hero – The Castellows definitely boosted their career since they signed a record deal two years ago. I recently featured the US country trio as the opening main stage act at the 2025 C2C in Berlin.  On 30th May 2025, the ladies released their sophomore EP Homecoming. Here is my review.

 

The Castellows – About The Artists

The Castellows are female country music trio consisting of the sisters Eleanor (Ellie), Lily and Powell Balkcom. Lily is the lead singer of the band. They are originally from Georgetown in Georgia and started to do music together professionally in 2022. One year later, they moved to Nashville and signed a record deal.  In February 2024, they released their debut EP A Little Goes A Long Way.

The Castellows – Homecoming – Track by Track

The seven song EP lasts 26 minutes.

1. Old Way

Homecoming starts with a new song – even though it is called Old Way. The song hits the nail of expectation right on the head. It is having the typical Castellows sound and fulfills the country music stereotypes. But I like it. It’s just why you like (or hate…) these three sisters.

This is gonna be the old way one day
That never really crossed my mind
If I could go back there right now
I’d cut a deal with Father Time

2. Sheltered

Sheltered is more rhythmic and thus also feels more modern than the opener. It opens a block of three songs, which have been released before the EP. The very harmonic style of the song, especially in the chorus, somehow feels like the trademark of music by The Castellows. Nice one.

3. You Don’t Even Know Who I Am

The calm style of Homecoming is continuing with You Don’t Even Know Who I Am. The song feels traditional, but not that square, so that it can attract a wide audience. It deals with a break-up. I really like its storytelling. When these three young ladies tell you about an unhappy ending of a relationship, it feels to hurt a bit less.

It said you don’t even know who I am
You left me a long time ago
You don’t even know who I am
So what do you care if I go

4. Place They Call Home (feat. Flatland Cavalry)

Based on Spotify streams, Place They Call Home has been (quite significantly) the most successful single release of Homecoming so far. The collaboration with the Texan country and Americana band Flatland Cavalry adds quite a lot to the sound of The Castellows.

5. Freeway

After the three already known songs, The Castellows take you on the Freeway. In the first stanza, they state ‘Cause I was born 40 years too later – maybe right on time. Thereafter, the rhythmic and catching chorus kicks off and spreads some really nice country dance vibes.

Way back, never gonna see me again
Sweet like nothing, a whisper in the wind
Rolling down a river like a lost map dot Mark Twain
Playing with the band, staying up till dawn
Don’t know what you’re feeling till you hear it in a song
What you can’t buy is better than a pocket full of change
Living that free way

6. Broke

There are a couple of songs with a rather present fiddle in the The Castellows discography. For Broke, they also use a cello, which turns Broke into a rather heavy-hearted listen. Nonetheless, the message of the song is a nice one, as the trio states in the last line of the song: Love don’t go broke. 

7. Homecoming

The title track is closing the EP. Homecoming adds rhythmic and nicely swaying vibes to this set of seven tracks, which make you dance. Especially in and after the instrumental bridge, you just have to move to the zesty fiddle and the clapping rhythm.

 

The Castellows – Homecoming – Spotify

Here is the EP on Spotify:

 

The Castellows – Homecoming – My View

I really like the three young ladies from Georgia. And thus, I enjoyed Homecoming with them. Here and there, I would love them to surprise me with some new sounds and ideas, though. The title track at the end of the EP is a nice example for that. Sometimes you either have to hurt the traditional or the modern country music listeners a bit to create a really fantastic song.

Favorite Song: Freeway

 

Women Country 2025

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