“Redwood Tree”
Cam
Written by Tyler Johnson, Anders Mouridsen, and Camaron Ochs
Technically, I shouldn’t be writing about this for a country music blog, but not for the immediate reasons you’d suspect.
You see, Cam has been but one of many female performers sidelined by country radio in favor of … well, this, and while she’s still signed to RCA Records, she’s no longer a part of the Nashville division. She’s still a powerful ally to country music, mind you, but her team basically feels marketing to country radio isn’t worth the effort anymore; and that genuinely sucks on all counts.
It’s an unfortunate reality for mainstream country music’s female artists, though, and it’s telling that Cam, Kacey Musgraves, and Maren Morris have found greater exposure through touring with male pop acts than they have from hit country singles in recent years. It’s all neither here nor there for what is supposed to be a song review, but it is a sad reminder of – in the words of Little Texas – what might have been.
With that said, I wouldn’t call “Redwood Tree” among Cam’s best, but it’s a huge step up from her other single, “‘Til There’s Nothing Left,” from earlier this year. Unraveling time’s fragile core and wondering where it all went is a familiar theme in country music, and I’m not sure the details here are memorable enough to make it an immediate standout.
But there is something to be said for how the track isolates this one moment in time – where Cam finds herself back in her childhood home wishing she appreciated her younger days more. It feels like it’s missing a third verse or stronger bridge to tie it all together, but the fast-paced nature is fitting for the track. With a driving acoustic lead, light percussion and slight echoed effects in the low end of the mix, it feels like she’s in the process of trying to find a sound that could work regardless of genre, and I’m not sure she’s found it yet. Still, the folk-pop rush is perfect for capturing how, in reality, she can’t dwell on those moments forever; the next journey always awaits.
Grade: B
Nice song – pleasant with a nice arrangement. The accompanying video seems unnecessary. A third verse would make the song too long, but reworking the bridge might help. It’s not country but judged on its own merits it is worth a B+