Mary 🤠🤟💼🦋

Dougie Poole, a Brooklynite via Providence, is evidence that city kids can be rambling dirt bags too. While his lyrics and pace are in the style of an old-fashioned cowboy lament, Poole adds millennial flair with the addition of the synth and drum machine. But, if you’re looking for authentic late 70s/early 80s Urban Cowboy* look no further than Paul Cauthen. Named the millennial Johnny Cash, he’s more texas, more ego, more my style.

*The movie, Urban Cowboy (1980), starring John Travolta and Debra Winger (dance-riding a mechanical bull), is now streaming on Netflix. 

Dillon👷🌇🤠

“Cause the screenplay that he wrote ain’t causing the commotion that he hoped.” a standout line off Dougie Poole’s lonesome city-country howler “Vaping on the Job” from his latest album The Freelancer’s Blues. Dougie seems to be on a one man mission to prove that classic axiom, you know the one, Even 20-somethings with media jobs get the blues. Seriously though, Poole’s vocal stylings are as pleasant and familiar as his lyrics are sort of unexpected and alien to this genre. His use of synth and drum to spice up the backing instrumentation strengthens his delivery and gives his sound an extra bit of personality on top of his already unique writing style. Really though, what’s more country than decrying the decay and abandonment felt by folks stuck in dead-end, underpaying jobs while still honoring the nobility with which they carry on, regardless of where that’s happening (Hint: It’s everywhere in America). 

Greg

What I enjoyed most about this track is the sense of confusion about the where and when of Dougie Poole...until you hear the chorus of “Vaping On The Job”. Instantly you’re transported back into 2020 and begin to envision a cowboy with a cloud of vape smoke engulfing his stirrups. There’s a sense of parody throughout the track, but it doesn’t detract from the almost anti-country country theme Poole is going for.