Dancing Through Tears: Inside CMAT’s EURO-COUNTRY

Photo by Sarah Boyle

CMAT has done it again. With her new album EURO-COUNTRY, the Dunboyne-grown singer proves she’s not only one of the most authentic people in music, but also one of the most heartfelt. If you’ve followed CMAT (full name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) since her debut, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, you’ll know she has a knack for writing songs that make you dance one moment and tear up the next. Her third record takes this talent to another level, blending country twang with pop and a bit of theatrical flair. The result is an album that feels like a night out and a therapy session combined. 

From the beginning, EURO-COUNTRY sets the tone of being fun, bold, and not playing by the rules. CMAT has never been afraid to poke fun at herself or the world around her, but what makes her music stick is the honesty hidden beneath the humor. These songs may sound playful, but they’re also deeply relatable. Who hasn’t made a questionable decision for love, or tried to turn heartbreak into a joke just to survive it? 

One of the joys of listening to CMAT is that you never quite know what you’re going to get musically. On EURO-COUNTRY, pedal steel guitars sit comfortably next to synths that sound reminiscent of the Eurovision stage. Some moments feel like country classics, and others sound like they were made for a sweaty 2 am dance floor. Somehow, it all works perfectly, and that's due to CMAT’s voice, both literally and figuratively. She ties the whole thing together with her charm, wit, and knack for melody. 

At its heart, EURO-COUNTRY is about connections, whether joy and sadness, glamour and grit, or comedy and sincerity. It’s an album that invites you to dance, cry, and laugh at yourself, sometimes all in the same song. CMAT has built her own little universe where Dolly Parton, ABBA, and your funniest mate from class would all hang out at the pub together, and honestly, who wouldn’t want to live there? 

With EURO-COUNTRY, CMAT has made her boldest, funniest, and most lovable record yet. It’s proof that she’s not just a rising star, but already in a league of her own.