Some artists work comfortably within genre boundaries; Domenic Cicala prefers to pull them apart. With a daring two-record package, he offers not just music but a study in contrasts. On one side sits As Good As It Gets, a rock record forged in the shadow of personal health struggles. On the other is Vamoose, a lively love letter to classic country. Taken together, the releases feel less like a double album and more like a dialogue—two voices in conversation about where Cicala has been, and where he’s going.
As Good As It Gets is Cicala at his most vulnerable and unflinching. Written in the wake of a brush with mortality, the album is steeped in reflection. Some tracks hit hard with driving, drum-heavy energy, while others step back into quiet contemplation. Across it all, his vocals carry the grain of experience—weathered but unbroken—giving the record a weight that can only come from lived truth. It’s not music made for passing trends; it’s music that lingers.
In contrast, Vamoose bursts open with humor, heartache, and the playful bite of classic country storytelling. Love, loss, infidelity, and wry one-liners make their way through the album, but always with a wink and an affection for the genre’s roots. Rather than pastiche, it feels like participation—Cicala stepping into the tradition with both reverence and his own sly perspective. The result is a record that nods to country legends while still wearing his fingerprints.
Both projects were realized with co-producer Steve Carr and a cadre of musicians from Washington D.C.’s close-knit music community. Their contributions gave the records a polished yet grounded feel. Still, it’s Cicala’s pen that stands out most. Lyrics remain his compass, layered with meaning and designed to be savored slowly rather than skimmed.
For Cicala, this moment is about more than the songs themselves. Having begun his career later in life, after decades as a devoted listener, he approaches music as both a privilege and a responsibility. There’s urgency here, but also gratitude—a sense that every track recorded is borrowed time well spent. With a duets project already in the works, the double release feels less like a capstone and more like a launching point.
Domenic Cicala is proving that creativity doesn’t have an expiration date. As Good As It Gets and Vamoose don’t just showcase two sides of an artist; they remind us that reinvention is always within reach. In splitting the difference between rock and country, he’s found a way to tell one story in two voices—both of them undeniably his own.
“As Good As It Gets” and “Vamoose” are available now. Explore more at domeniccicala.com