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CMAT - European Nation

CMAT - European Nation

      **Album Review**

      

      **5 Stars** The album that will elevate her from cult country-pop favorite to a genuine star.

      

      

      

      

       Reviewer: Daisy Carter

      

       Released: 29th August 2025

      

       Label: AWAL

      

      

      

       If her unforgettable Glasto performance or her viral dance - the dubbed ‘woke Macarena’ - weren’t convincing enough that 2025 is indeed CMAT’s summer, let this third full-length serve as undeniable proof: ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ is the album that will propel Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson from a cult country-pop icon to a true superstar. From its artwork to its tracklist (featuring standout tracks like ‘Tree Six Foive’ and ‘Coronation St.’), and the songs themselves, every aspect is cleverly referential, playfully self-aware, and expertly crafted, weaving together the musical, visual, and thematic language established by her previous two albums into a cohesive exploration of national identity, fame, and womanhood.

      

       At one end, there’s ‘Lord, Let That Tesla Crash’ - a poignant encapsulation of the complexities and contradictions of grief - and ‘Iceberg’, a Titanic-themed narrative about a relationship slowly deteriorating. On the other hand, there’s ‘When A Good Man Cries’ - a quintessential CMAT hoedown that introduces the unforgettable phrase “Dunboyne Diana” - and ‘The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’, a diss track that doubles as a philosophical reflection on resentment, culminating in a stunning climax of fervent, wild vocals criticizing the TV chef. Both ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ and ‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me’ are strong contenders for Song of the Year, with the former being a reconciliatory love letter to her troubled homeland, and the latter a sharp critique of ageism and female beauty norms. It mustn’t be said that pop lacks complexity: here, CMAT is tearing up the rulebook and crafting her own.

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

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CMAT - European Nation

The album that will propel her from a beloved cult country-pop artist to a genuine star.