A former contestant on The Voice -- he appeared in its 15th season, which aired in 2018 --
Kameron Marlowe
follows a straight, narrow, and long path on his 2022 debut
We Were Cowboys
. He telegraphs a lot with that title: he's indulging in macho nostalgia, pining for the way country used to be -- meaning something that sounds growly and gravelly, which signifies as outlaw country but takes pains to paint within the lines. It's telling that
Tyler Farr
and
Casey Beathard
have co-writing credits here. Like those two singers,
Marlowe
favors deliberate, plodding beats that veer into minor keys; the onset of good times is announced by an increase in volume, not tempo.
navigates these changes with skill but no distinction, a trait that's ingratiating enough on singles but grows wearying over the course of an album, especially one as lengthy as
, whose 16 songs creep toward an hour. Trim this down to an EP, one that highlights such lighter moments as "Ain't Enough Whiskey," which has a soulful gait to its groove, and it's not only easier to swallow,
doesn't seem nearly as self-serious as he does here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine