Fiddle, Fire & Fringe Boots: Cliff & Susan Light Up the New Year with ‘Spitfire’
Hold on to your hats, folks — Cliff & Susan have come barreling into 2025 like a lightning bolt with their latest single, “Spitfire.” And let me tell you, this one sizzles.
From the first downbeat, “Spitfire” announces itself with a swagger and strut worthy of the title. This is no shrinking violet of a song — it’s a full-throttle, fiddle-fueled anthem that paints its muse in blazing, Technicolor strokes. Cliff Prowse wears every hat in the studio — vocalist, producer, multi-instrumentalist — and wears them well. His vocals are muscular and assured, cutting through a vibrant mix of twang and flame.
The arrangement is a barn-burner. Cliff’s fiddle lines dance with grit and gusto, weaving around a foundation of pedal steel courtesy of Terry Martin and the soulful swells of Dane Bryant’s B3 organ. It’s pure country with a rockabilly spark, and it swings with confidence. Susan’s background vocals add warmth and texture, grounding the high-octane drive with just the right touch of sweetness.
Fiddle, Fire & Fringe Boots: Cliff & Susan Light Up the New Year with ‘Spitfire’
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Lyrically, “Spitfire” lands in that sweet spot where reverence meets revelry. “She’s a spitfire / hit you strong as a sip of moonshine,” Cliff sings, with a winking admiration that’s part Southern charm, part rock ‘n’ roll tribute. The imagery is sharp, vivid — “A stone-cold stunner in black fringe boots” could be carved into a honky-tonk Hall of Fame wall.
But what elevates “Spitfire” beyond just clever turns of phrase is its authenticity. This isn’t just a catchy radio-ready single — it’s a personal ode, a celebration of a muse, and it feels lived-in. That sincerity gives it staying power. You believe Cliff when he sings it, because he clearly lives it.
Cliff & Susan are carrying the torch for contemporary country done right — rootsy, rousing, and refreshingly real. With “Spitfire,” they prove they’re not just following the path — they’re blazing it.
–Ray Reynolds
