A former contestant on The Voice -- he appeared in its 15th season, which aired in 2018 -- Kameron Marlowe follows a straight, narrow, and long path on his 2022 debut We Were Cowboys. He telegraphs a lot with that title: he's indulging in macho nostalgia, pining for the way country used to be -- meaning something that sounds growly and gravelly, which signifies as outlaw country but takes pains to paint within the lines. It's telling that Tyler Farr and Casey Beathard have co-writing credits here. Like those two singers, Marlowe favors deliberate, plodding beats that veer into minor keys; the onset of good times is announced by an increase in volume, not tempo. Marlowe navigates these changes with skill but no distinction, a trait that's ingratiating enough on singles but grows wearying over the course of an album, especially one as lengthy as We Were Cowboys, whose 16 songs creep toward an hour. Trim this down to an EP, one that highlights such lighter moments as "Ain't Enough Whiskey," which has a soulful gait to its groove, and it's not only easier to swallow, Marlowe doesn't seem nearly as self-serious as he does here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine