'EURO-COUNTRY’ - CMAT
Photo Credit: @cmatbaby, Instagram
CMAT’s EURO-COUNTRY is the sort of album that walks a tightrope between glittery pop escapism and gritty, soul-stirring commentary—and somehow, CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) doesn’t slip once. Her third LP feels like her most fully realised work yet: she leans into her personality, her heritage, and her politics with sharpened lyrics, bombastic hooks, and emotional undercurrents that you can’t ignore.
Straight off, the title track “Euro-Country” sets the tone. Sung partly in Irish, it pairs swelling synths and sweeping passion with a lyrical take on Ireland’s economic rollercoaster—the Celtic Tiger boom, its collapse, and the scars left on identity, expectations, and community. Lines like “I was 12 when the DAs started killing themselves all around me” hit hard—not just because of their gravity, but because CMAT delivers them with a mix of warmth, detachment, and something like defiant love for a place she can’t entirely call home without reservation. It’s both confession and gathering of strength in equal measure.
From there, EURO-COUNTRY moves through wild, twisting terrain. On “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station,” she turns a casual annoyance with celebrity culture into sharper reflections on capitalism and societal pressure—the absurdity of wanting to be seen, wanting something more, while being stuck somewhere in between. It’s punchy, humorous, and yet loaded with real frustration.
Tracks like “Take a Sexy Picture of Me” balance danceable alt-pop grooves with body-image commentary; here CMAT is less judge, more observant friend calling out absurd expectations. The contrast between the infectious melody and the lyric’s bite is one of the album’s most electric tricks.
There are moments of quiet that land just as heavy. “Lord, Let That Tesla Crash” is one such piece—a slower, melancholic slice of grief over the loss of a friend, tinged with existential restlessness. The production pulls back; CMAT’s voice is more exposed, and the emotional cracks—or maybe just the honest fissures—are all there. It’s a reminder that underneath all the spectacle, there’s someone grappling with doubt, memory, longing.
Still, CMAT isn’t sour or withholding joy. There’s still the glitz, the cheek, the camp, the big choruses. Songs like “When a Good Man Cries” mix fiddle or country-pop touches with lyrical self-critique; “Coronation St.” deals with that odd sting of adult life, of watching others seem to move forward while you feel stuck. There’s humour in the everyday—small absurdities, pop-culture references, biting lines—that keeps the emotional weight from tipping into gloom. That sense of balance is crucial: EURO-COUNTRY is heavy, yes—but it never drags. It still wants you to dance, to sing along, to laugh at the absurdity of life.
Sonically, the record is polished without sacrificing personality. Production leans into country-pop, folk, indie, alt-pop flourishes, with enough wistful twang, big synth moments, and playful arrangements so that even when the topics are heavy, the sound remains inviting. Her vocal performance feels confident—more mature perhaps than earlier albums—and lyrical details are sharper, more personal. It feels like the album of someone who’s learned, who’s observed, and who’s decided to write symphonies out of moments others dismiss.
Some quieter moments in the second half are beautiful but don’t always hit with the same visceral snap as the opener tracks. But maybe that’s by design—loss, malaise, longing, and finding yourself in between are part of the album’s core. The hush after the storm has its own weight.
EURO-COUNTRY is CMAT at her boldest—funny, furious, vulnerable, and fiercely herself. It confirms she’s not a novelty, not a viral moment, but a songwriter capable of turning joy, heartbreak, identity, and rage into something resonant and unforgettable. For listeners who love pop that makes you feel something, EURO-COUNTRY might just be one of the albums of 2025.
‘Euro-Country’ is available now on all major streaming platforms
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Listen to CMAT and other similar artists on our Spotify Playlist ‘New Music Spotlight - Folk & Country’
