Release Date: February 18
Genre: Indie Pop / Country Pop / Folk Pop
The man. The meme. The... legend? Oliver Tree has returned with his second studio album. He grew a lot in popularity thanks to the 2018 hit "Hurt," which was my personal introduction to the artist. I found myself enjoying some of his material off of his debut, Ugly is Beautiful. It certainly wasn't perfect, but it was a cool combination of rock, pop and indie, showcasing some solid hooks and Oliver's entertaining personality. Speaking of personality, his internet persona had become legendary at this point, with his bowl cut, his jumpsuit, his scooter and his braces. It was an interesting and comedic persona, contrasting quite well with the relatively serious subject matter he brought to his music.
Now, thanks to some heavy studio interference, he announced that he would retire from music. It was shocking, as he showed a lot of promise, but it was understandable. However, I think Oliver quickly changed his mind after releasing the bonus tracks for the album. These tracks were SO much worse than the rest of the album, yet there was one particular song that, thanks to the evil powers of Tik Tok, became immensely popular. That song is "Life Goes On." It is easily one of the most annoying songs the past few years. However, thanks to its massive success, Oliver sought fit to release his sophomore album.
What makes this sophomore album, however, is the stylistic shift, both in the music and the persona. The sound of this album continues the mixture of 90s and 2000s indie rock and pop, though this time around, there's a heavier emphasis on country and folk. Acoustic guitar drives the album. As for Oliver, he has ditched his bowlcut for a ridiculous blonde mullet, his multicolored jumpsuit for a black suit with a bolo tie and ten gallon hat, his scooter for a... I dunno, I think it's a go kart with a bull's head on it?
With that description, I think you can picture the biggest problem Cowboy Tears has. At this point, the persona has completely overshadowed the music. There's an intentionally obnoxious aura to Oliver's brand of comedy. It's showcased in his music videos, his live performances and the like, and in the past, this side of him was able to live in tangent with his songs. Unfortunately, there is a strong disconnect this time around. It's clear that both Oliver and his label are under the impression that the music cannot exist without the persona, which should not be the case. As an artist with a very distinct character, the music should be able to stand on its own. Artists like Ghost and Gorillaz are able to have their own unique personalities beyond the music while still crafting brilliant songs. A good chunk of the songs off of Ugly is Beautiful were able to have this contingency as well. Unfortunately, that is not the same for Cowboy Tears. Oliver was so focused on showing this character and giving us a specific musical aesthetic without backing it up with solid tunes.
As a result, this entire project sounds phoned in and half assed. It is very derivative of a very specific sound of the 90s. Many of these songs sound like they would be playing in a late 90s/early 2000s teen comedy during a montage of the high school a majority of the movie will be taking place in. It's that kind of sound. It's heavily outdated, and this project is drowning in this style. And when it doesn't have this pho-teen movie sound, it has really corny and bad semi-country balladry on such a forced surface level. Oliver's dives into rock and pop turned out relatively well on his debut, but going in this direction is just a miss. It comes off clumsy, misguided and just bad.
I could tell something was off as soon as the singles dropped. "Cowboys Don't Cry" is the lead single off of this album, and I was incredibly disappointed. The country fusion is so surface level. It's an acoustic cut with Oliver doing this somewhat hick vocal style that sounds really bad. Plus, the vague mentions of outlaws and the wild west is forced as all hell. It certainly doesn't help that the chorus is basic and boring. Then there's "Freaks and Geeks," which is even worse. The twangy arpeggiated chords in the verses hideously clash with Oliver's yelpy vocals. The song lacks a hook, and the sample fueled outro doesn't suit the vibe as well as it thinks it does.
Unfortunately, things only get worse in the deep cuts, which is a shame because there are some instances of compelling lyricism on Oliver's part that get ruined by underwhelming instrumentation and obnoxious singing. "Cigarettes" is a genuinely troubling song about addiction to cigarettes. The imagery of smoking twenty cigarettes at once and being filled up with cancer is pretty gripping. Unfortunately, the guitars are basic as hell, and the vocal patterns are some of the most derivative you can find out there. "Doormat" has some decent lyrics about being used, but the pacing of the song is just so tedious. This is also one of Oliver's worst vocal performances on the album, bring the whole "singing in cursive" meaning to a new light.
There are plenty of other songs that underwhelm. "Get Well Soon" has a message that I appreciate, but its sample work gets annoying very quickly. "Playing With Fire" is a stupid as hell outlaw country trip hop cut with some of Oliver's stupidest lyrics on the entire project. It sounds like he's trying to be cool and tough, but the more "comedic" lines, as well as the whole aesthetic, comes off so corny. "Balloon Boy" is the song that closest resembles the music off of Ugly is Beautiful, and it's spacey outro sounds nice, but everything leading up to that would have made this track one of the weakest off of that album. And the closer, "Cowboy Tears," sounds so dull and lifeless, even if you can tell that there is some passion put into the lyrics.
Then we have "California," which is easily the most unlistenable track off of this entire album. The acoustic guitar on this song sounds like its out of tune. You can hear the buzz of the missed notes play with each string pluck. Oliver's love letter to California is written in such a ham fisted way. Yes, you love California and you've lived there your whole life. We get it. But really, what makes this song unbearable is the singing. Oliver's vocals are pretty hit or miss on this project (mostly miss), but here, he is truly awful. Every note is extra nasally and every word is way too over-annunciated. Oliver's vocal style has suited other songs in the past, but here, I cannot stomach it.
Now, you might be wondering, are there any good songs on this album? Luckily, yes, there are a couple. Neither are amazing, but they are pretty solid, and they both overshadow every other song on this project. "Swing & A Miss" has one of Oliver's catchiest choruses ever, and I like the progression of the song. The peppy, upbeat melody makes the transition from verse to chorus pop, and I like it. "Suitcase Full of Cash" is probably Oliver's most well written song from a lyrical standpoint, as he talks about corporate greed. His songwriting is compelling, and I like the little guitar lick that plays in the chorus. Plus, I think the little skit moments of the cop talking into the radio, reporting a crime of a man stealing large suitcases full of Monopoly money to be pretty funny.
I don't really know what else to say about this album. It's clear that something got lost in translation, because Cowboy Tears was a misfire. With weak songs, poor singing and a persona that has overshadowed everything in its wake, Oliver Tree has lost something that made his past work so endearing. I'm not sure what that is exactly, but whatever he left behind has turned him and his music more obnoxious than ever before, and I cannot bring myself to listen to this project ever again. If you're a ride or die fan of Oliver, then you might like it. However, for everyone else, I would say skip this one. There is one good thing about this album, though: literally every song here is better than "Life Goes On." Do with that what you will.
Best Tracks: Swing & A Miss; Suitcase Full of Cash
Worst Track: California
Grade: D
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