Some songs announce themselves loudly, and then some songs arrive slowly and gently, like a hand resting on your shoulder. “Vaya Con Dios,” the rereleased single from Ashley Ray Simon, belongs firmly to the second kind. The opening moment of “Vaya Con Dios” is pure atmosphere. It doesn’t rush to explain itself; instead, it breathes. A sparse, soulful introduction sets the tone, and that feels intentional rather than empty. It’s the kind of opening that invites stillness, asking you to lean in rather than sit back. From the first few seconds, you sense that this is a song guided by feel, not by grid or formula.
When Ashley Ray Simon’s voice enters, it does so with an effortless calm, and that’s where the charm begins. His vocals are smooth and transform the song into a breathtakingly beautiful experience. He sings like someone who’s lived inside the emotions he’s describing, not someone performing them for effect. There’s a soulful control to his delivery, a seasoned confidence that doesn’t need to oversell anything.
What stands out most is how natural Simon sounds. His performance is deeply felt and not flashy compared to modern music. He lets the song unfold at its pace, trusting silence as much as sound. That trust mirrors the song’s core theme: surrender in the face of uncertainty. Knowing the story behind “Vaya Con Dios,” a real moment during a stormy surf trip in Indonesia; it adds depth, but the beauty is that you don’t need the backstory to feel it. The emotion translates instinctively. You hear it in the way Simon’s voice hovers between steadiness and vulnerability, as if bracing against invisible waves.
Production-wise, “Vaya Con Dios” is a masterclass in tasteful simplicity. The mix of folk-pop and soul feels organic rather than curated, while the delightful acoustic guitar riffs enhance the overall listening experience. The instrumentation never competes with the vocal; it supports it like a current beneath the surface.
Emotionally, the song lands in a quiet but powerful place. Listening to it felt like standing still during chaos; not denying the storm, but accepting it. Personally, “Vaya Con Dios” left me calm, reflective, and strangely grounded. It comforted me without being sentimental and was soulful without leaning into cliché. It didn’t tell me what to feel; it gave me space to feel something real.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ashley Ray Simon, this is your official introduction. A British artist now based in Portugal, Simon is building a body of work that values emotion over perfection and presence over polish. Now, as he explores the tension between human groove and machine rhythm, his sound continues to evolve while staying deeply personal.
“Vaya Con Dios,” reintroduced under his own name on the revived debut EP “How Well Do You Know This Place,” feels like a full-circle moment. It’s not just a re-release, but a reclamation. It’s a reminder of where his artistic voice began and a quiet statement of intent for where it’s going. Ashley Ray Simon didn’t shout for our attention. He earned it one breath, one phrase, and one honest moment at a time. And with “Vaya Con Dios,” he invites us to let go, trust the feeling, and go with God… or at least with the music. “Vaya Con Dios” has offered us an emotional journey, filled with thoughtful lyrics and atmospheric melodies that invite deep reflection and connection.
Listen to “Vaya Con Dios” on Spotify
Follow Ashley Ray Simon here for more information
