The pressure to be constantly productive is nothing new, but it’s as relevant as ever. We’re pushed to do more, keep every plate spinning and squeeze something out of every minute, until our bodies and minds finally say enough. Concrete Cowboy, the second album from Australian band The Buoys, grew out of that need to stop, hold on to what really matters and reclaim rest as an act of self-love. It’s out now on Sony Music Australia and Music For Nations.
Zoe Catterall (vocals, guitar), Hilary Geddes (guitar), Courtney Cunningham (bass) and Tess Wilkin (drums) have teamed up again with Chris Collins, who produced their 2024 debut “Lustre“, and their sound feels more defined than ever. The eleven songs move easily between alt rock, power pop and 90s indie rock, letting each one find its own way.
“Take It Over” opens the album with energetic guitars, a bassline that does far more than keep time and a chorus that sticks on first listen. It sounds upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different story, questioning everything a productivity-obsessed society promises us. “Bitch” roughens things up, edging towards Wolf Alice with a slightly poppier streak, as other people’s contempt turns into a declaration of independence. “Kill You Back” brings the black humour, with a garage feel and playful phrasing that recall The Beths’ scrappy power pop.
The album has its quieter moments too. “Alone In Vegas”, inspired by the film Desert Hearts, is a song celebrating love between women, set to warm, gently rolling indie rock in the vein of Soccer Mommy. On “Give Or Take”, acoustic guitars take centre stage and hints of country creep in as Zoe sings about the fear of letting herself be vulnerable. “Pretenders” builds to an instrumental coda where the guitars break loose in a way the lyrics don’t quite dare to.
However much the music invites you to let go, The Buoys’ minds won’t sit still. Their lyrics give voice to the inner noise that runs through Concrete Cowboy: relationships falling apart, how hard it is to communicate, and the memories and thoughts that won’t leave us alone, always with a mix of fragility, irony and anger. “Welcome To My Brain” drops you straight into a mind that jumps from one thing to the next. “Stay Up To Date On Politics” unleashes a torrent of everyday and existential reflections over delicate guitars and a warm, enveloping bassline. And the luminous “The Cloud” turns the fear of another emotional crisis into a reason to keep going.
“Tell Me It Gets Better” closes the album in style, full of nostalgia, with a beautiful fade-out that leaves its plea hanging in the air.
Concrete Cowboy doesn’t promise that everything will get better. Instead, it reminds us that even though the world never stops turning, we can still stop, listen to what’s going on inside us and find a reason to believe that yes, things can get better.
Listen to Concrete Cowboy in full here.
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