If you’re someone who is only paying attention to what’s in the mainstream, then it might seem like Treaty Oak Revival‘s success in 2025 has come out of nowhere. Their 2021 album No Vacancy suddenly started appearing on the Billboard Charts, and both that album and their follow-up Have a Nice Day were both certified gold. But this was no overnight success – the band, formed in 2019, has been earning its following fan by fan through live shows, and writing the kind of country rock songs that strike an emotional nerve for anyone who has known struggle. And their latest album, West Texas Degenerate, has what it takes to launch the band into arenas.
What makes these songs work so well is the conflict and regret permeating through every lyric and melody. The people in these stories are enjoying the party while knowing it can’t last, as a future of adulthood looms over them (“What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t be trusted with that substance these days”). Over blistering guitar licks and driving percussion, “Post A” weaves this tale with pathos, as our heroes enjoy a weeklong bender for spring break, marking it as a last hurrah; “I left my rowdy ways on the shores of Corpus Christi. Thank god for southern Texas, and thank god I’m still alive.”
These paths of reckless living continue on the heavy singalongs “Shit Hill” and “Withdrawals”. Addiction rears its head in both, with “Shit Hill” finding a person in denial about their problem, while the latter finds someone suffering as they try to get clean. While the subject matter of both is dark, the band give both tracks the kind of rootsy hooks and harmonies to make them go down easy.
And of course, there’s plenty of heart ache and heartbreaks throughout W.T.D. And man does the band make those sad songs sound good. “Put that last damn bullet in my broken heart” they sing on “Misery”, wanting to put an end to a failing relationship, and then numb themselves from the pain through psychedelic drugs on “Dosin.” Even when not on drugs, the people in these songs are simply having trouble facing the world in all of its chaos (“Reaching out to God to give me a sign, cause I’m in a bad state of mind”).
Something important to note is that Treaty Oak Revival are never judging the folks in their songs. They empathize with them and understand them, and likely in the past were just like them. The album’s title track looks at the lives of their fans – working soul-sucking jobs just to get by, and holding out for those moments of relief where they can blow off steam. To outsiders, they may appear to be “West Texas Degenerates”, but they’re just people who take their fun to extreme places to cope with the misery they often return to (“If you can’t find sleep between the party and the pain, you can stay up until the sunrise with some good cocaine”).
In recent years, country and rock have been doing a lot of hand-holding, with artists like Zach Bryan, Whiskey Meyer and Hardy crossing over. With their propulsive riffs and hard-hitting rhythms, Treaty Oak Revival definitely earn their rock credentials. Upbeat numbers like “Happy Face” could be a Foo Fighters track, if Dave Grohl decided to sing it in his best southern drawl. “Naders” hits like the weather event of its namesake. More surprising than their heaviness is the sweetness they showoff on “Sunflower”. Written for vocalist Sam Canty’s wife on their wedding day, there’s no doubt this one will be a staple at weddings for years to come.
One listen to West Texas Degenerates, and I got it. Why Treaty Oak Revival are huge, and getting huger. Why they are racking up gold records despite releasing their music independently with little to no radio play. They’re authentic, with songs filled with relatable, human stories that strike a raw, emotional nerve. It’s music you can party and cry to (possibly at the same time).
Listen to the entire album this Friday, November 28th, and stream the pre-released single here.
The Indy Review 
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