When a young and spirited young performer from Lincoln, Nebraska or Boise, Idaho or someplace similar sings about moving to Nashville, it reflects a desire to reach out for the fabled brass ring of success and the opportunities that go with it. When
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, a native of Dublin, Ireland and a veteran of a well-reviewed but commercially disappointing indie rock band, declares she's going to Nashville, it means something different.
Thompson's evolution into
CMAT on her solo debut, 2022's
If My Wife New, I'd Be Dead, is a willful transformation, a witty public reinvention that reflects a different sort of ambition. Playfully describing herself as a "global pop star,"
CMAT's music is steeped in her interest in classic country music and its eager embrace of big emotions and the drama of ordinary life. That said, she's just as indebted to a cleverly skewed version of contemporary pop that's smart enough to set itself apart from radio-friendly peers while borrowing what she likes from the melodic sensibilities and polished production of the mainstream.
CMAT has namechecked
Dolly Parton and
Katy Perry as her most important influences, and it's not hard to hear a hint of
Dolly in her themes and delivery that can be played as camp or as perfectly sincere at will. However, the glossy aural candyland of
Perry's work is miles away from
If My Wife New; instead, one hears a blend of the self-constructed melodrama of
Lana Del Rey, the playful but determined persona of
Title-era
Meghan Trainor, and the vocal bravado of
Adele, while dialing down her seriousness. This unusual set of ingredients, and
Thompson's skill in proportioning them, is a big part of what makes
If My Wife New, I'd Be Dead work so well, but what seals the deal is
CMAT's delivery. Her voice is strong enough and boasts enough personality to make her persona come to life, and her songs hit a charming midpoint between small-town gossip and show-stopping tunes from the West End musical that exists only in
CMAT's mind. That show is only imaginary right now, but the home-brewed spectacle of this album makes it easy to visualize
CMAT tackling bigger stages in the future. It's a witty and thoroughly delightful debut. ~ Mark Deming
