Album Review: Bronco by Orville Peck

When I think about music today, with new singers emerging every day who may or may not be backed by some huge record label, it is important for me to consider who I believe to be genuine trailblazers; people who are revolutionary in some aspect of their craft. No artist comes as close to this, in my opinion, as Orville Peck. For the last few years I have been mesmerized watching this masked cowboy explore both a deeply Western sound and aesthetic, but never has it been more earnest than on Bronco.

What I think Orville has done so well here is unearth the raw authenticity hidden beneath decades of formulaic country music that reeks of toxic masculinity and lacks any real sentiment. With this new album, Orville has solidified himself as the most commanding showman amongst his peers all because he allows the innate queerness and campiness of what he is doing take centre stage. He celebrates those that came before him, revels in the storied history of the lonely cowboy, all while subverting this trope with a wink, a nod, and a sense of overwhelming sincerity. Criticism of his work in the past has claimed it all to be a farce; the anonymous, masked crooner simply a well thought out gimmick. All I can say is this: It is not a schtick; it is the most authentic this genre has ever been.

The major themes present on Bronco are ones men often have trouble expressing. But, through this genre, Orville is able to explore emotions like love, heartbreak, loneliness, and hope. "The Curse of the Blackened Eye" and "Hexie Mountains" seem to come from the perspective of a man haunted by abusive relationships and his own self, while "Daytona Sand", "C'Mon Baby Cry", and "Blush" feel like a surrender to heartbreak and a willingness to do it all over again. Vocally, Orville has never sounded quite like he does here. Still largely a stunning low baritone, his range is on full display with belts, riffs, and falsettos thrown in to remind you just how talented he really is. There is a sense of theatricality that when combined with storytelling-like songwriting, allows the album to exist just on the border of melodrama and honesty. Sonically, this album has a lot going on. There are instruments very typical for classic country music - banjo, harmonica, acoustic guitar - but with additions of piano, strings, electric guitar, and far more that take the sound beyond the limitations of any one genre. This is precisely what allows songs like "Any Turn", a complete barnstomper of a track, and "Trample Out the Days", an almost pop-leaning ballad, to belong on the same album together.

I have to give a special shoutout to two of my favourite tracks on this album - "Kalahari Down" and "Let Me Drown". The former is, what I believe to be, the perfect nod to where Orville has come from (South Africa if you didn't know) and a regret for having to leave aspects of it behind. The opening lyrics "I was born in the badlands honey/Strange place for a boy to drown/ Spent my days on a mountain, baby/Twelve miles north of Sophiatown" allow the listener a glimpse into the environment Orville was born into. Sophiatown, was a revolutionary, largely black suburb in Johannesburg, South Africa that was destroyed under apartheid and rezoned for whites only in 1955, but was restored in 2006. Purely my own speculation, but perhaps the experience of a disconnect from the history of his homeland contributed to the sense of "otherness" Orville has said himself helped him relate to the idea of the typical 'American cowboy' without a real home. His voice breaking as he sings about his mom near the end of the song has to be one of my favourite vocal deliveries on the album, second only to the strength and power with which he sings "Let Me Drown". This one is a standout in his entire discography for me, as it plays out like an 80s heartache power ballad with all the conviction of someone on the edge of giving up. It is about feeling like a burden; having the inability to receive love, but desperately longing for it. Just listen to it, I promise it will leave you speechless.

What is really left for me to say about Orville Peck? Considering he has only been around the last few years, it feels a bit premature to talk about any kind of legacy. But I can't help but see how he is carving out exactly that. Perhaps the most important piece Orville brings is representation in a genre that has historically been lacking it. Unlike any mainstream country song I have ever heard, all the love songs on this album are about a man's love for another man. Although this doesn't differentiate the content from any other love song out there, it is a crucial piece of his identity that reinforces Orville as not just someone pretending to be on the outside. It is exactly the nuanced perspective needed to make songs such as these feel genuine. His entire aesthetic is an artistically genius way for him to feel free to express himself, queerness and all, in the most unapologetic way imaginable. No track expresses this better than the title track, which fittingly serves as the thesis statement on Bronco. Even with the mask still on, this is who Orville Peck really is, running wild for all to see.

Favourite Lyric: "Left to roam on a reckless wander/Raising sand on the setting sun/Keep an eye on that dusty highway/Tell my mother I'm nearly done/And I still hear the sound/Wind come up, Kalahari down" - Kalahari Down

Bonus Favourite Lyric: "So, just sit with me morning and nighttime/Have me on your front porch/I'll be still, I'll be quiet/I never why it was so hard for me to be who you want/Yeah, I've thought about finding new lovers/Thought about burning the past/All that I want is a kind heart to haunt/My shrink says it ain't too much to ask" - City of Gold