CD Review: Oliver Tree – Cowboy Tears
by Antony Bailey for Country Music News International Magazine
- Cowboys Don’t Cry
- Swing & A Miss
- Freaks And Geeks
- Doormat
- Suitcase Full of Cash
- Cigarettes
- Balloon Boy
- Things We Used To Do
- California
- Get Well Soon
- Playing With Fire
- The Villain
- Cowboy Tears
Oliver Tree returned in February of this year to release an album called ‘Cowboy Tears’. The still relatively new country-pop record is one to add to the playlist as it explores different genres whilst retaining a traditional country feel to appeal to a wide-ranging audience.
The first track ‘Cowboys Don’t Cry’ reveals the sobering truth with regards to battling loneliness in addition to how challenging it can be – especially in recent times with the ongoing pandemic amongst other crises occurring worldwide. ‘Swing & A Miss’ is the following track to appear on the album. ‘’Swing and a miss’’ also serves as the repeated refrain throughout as the lyrics touch on failed relationships and attempts to connect with someone who was always admired.
‘Get Well Soon’ contains a soaring vocal melody and the listener can truly hear the emotion and strain in Tree’s vocal chords as he delivers a heart-wrenching message to a lover and their wellbeing. The sobriety that this album brings continues to hit home with other tracks such as ‘Doormat’ revealing the reality of being pushed around and abused because of misplaced trust in the wrong people.
‘Cigarettes’ is a track that acts as a reminder that smoking is detrimental to physical health but also describes how smoking is a way for people to cope with pressure and adversity despite knowing the consequences of the habit. ‘Things We Used To Do’ contains R’n’B elements to take the music down a relatively new subgenre of country music.
Lyrically, the song reminisces on a past relationship with someone who is still admired to this day. ‘’I miss the things we used to do’’ is heard in the chorus and ‘’Do you think you’ll ever see me again?’’ points towards the reality of longing to re-kindle a relationship with someone which ended prematurely.
The penultimate track on the album is ‘The Villain’ and it simply summarises the narrative which is pushed throughout this album. Lyrics such as ‘’Don’t make me out to be something that I’m not’’ reaffirms the reality of being rejected, abused, and pushed aside by someone or a group of people who were wrongly loved and respected. ‘Cowboy Tears’ closes what is ultimately a heart-wrenching album that opens a discussion about alcohol and drug dependency combined with loneliness and depression.
This 13-track album is well worth adding to the playlist to diversify the musical palette as it contains a blend of genres to offer something slightly different to the world of country music.