By Joe Metro
Do you want to know why I actually write for this magazine? No, it’s not for fame. Not for the women either. It is definitely not for the money. It’s so I can reach out to my favorite local artist or band and beg them to let me review their newest album before anyone else in the general public gets to listen to it.
I looked back to when I first reached out to Cactus Tree about reviewing an EP of hers, and it was the middle of July of last year. And here we are seven months later, with me reviewing her EP and having had the opportunity to listen to it since November. A dear friend and fellow writer for the magazine taught me this valuable lesson. Call that The Joe Vickrey Special.
If you haven’t experienced the absolute pleasure of listening to Cactus Tree before, please remedy that immediately. This EP is a fantastic place to start. Cactus Tree’s storytelling pulls you in so much that I can’t help but get lost in the depth of the lyrics, not unlike Lake Superior pulling in The Edmund Fitzgerald back in ’75. Cactus Tree has created a work of art with Walks & Gardens. Every song feels intentional, and the organization of the tracks is woven in such a way that you feel connected to the story she’s telling.
“Scarcity Mindset,” the opening track from the EP, sets a great tone for the record.
“So I’m taking too many pictures, it’s scarcity mindset. You would too, babe, if you knew this resource was finite.” This might be my favorite line from this song. This attention to time is a double-edged sword: if you’re cognizant of how fleeting it is, then you try as hard as you can to hoard it as much as you can. This is expressed in the chorus as well with the line “white knuckling this moment when I’ve already lost it.” On the other hand, if you are ignorant of “the good ole days,” then you’re left reflecting on what you’ve lost.
“Comical” tells the story of love lost. She describes the feeling of losing the idea you had about a person or the relationship you wanted to have with someone. Each chorus starts with:
“You said you’re sorry…”
“I know that you can’t help it…”
This progresses from “So I try to understand,” to “So I sit and nod my head,” to “So I have to walk away.” It’s this slow realization that this is a pattern of behavior. The first time it happens, you try to be as understanding as possible and give the benefit of the doubt in order to look for the best in the person you are seeing. By the twelfth time the apology is being made, you are just sitting there nodding your head at the same BS.
“It’s a little bit comical just how textbook it’s become. And our friends tilt their heads and say, ‘You know, he’s still young.’” It’s so hard when people make excuses for bad behavior. Especially in relationships with “shared” friends. You feel isolated and alone. Cactus Tree does such a good job of invoking those feelings in this song. The lyrics are highlighted by the light instrumentation that takes a back seat, which adds to this isolationism.
To contrast “Comical,” “Playing Dirty” is the perfect bounce-back song after a very draining relationship. This track is the classic tale of your toxic ex spreading misinformation, and you not allowing yourself to be dragged down to their level. You hold your head up high and don’t let their games get you down as you sleep like a baby knowing you couldn’t give a single care about them or what they say. The chorus goes “Truth finds a way, babe. Sometimes it just takes 365 days.”
This reminds me of my time on the high school basketball team. My coach, Mr. Grant, used to say this widely popular phrase: “ball don’t lie.” For those of you who don’t know ball, this phrase means that if a questionable call is made, the ball will reveal the truth. It’s karmic, cosmic justice. Later in the song, we see the resolution of “ball don’t lie” with the line “There’s nothing left to do. I watch it all catch up to you.” There is nothing more satisfying than being vindicated with “ball don’t lie.”
All I’ll say about “Easy As That” is that listener discretion is advised. I absolutely love this song, but it is soul-crushing. The line “I am sorry to do this in front of you. I don’t mean to make a mountain out of a mountain.” It’s my favorite line in the whole EP. I have no idea why we all, or at least I, feel the need to apologize for appropriately reacting to something so devastating. Cactus Tree does so well with evoking that emotion.
Cactus Tree does such a great job of contextualizing these hard-to-describe feelings that are generally shared throughout the average human experience. I asked Cactus Tree for some thoughts she had regarding this EP. She says: “A goal with my music is to create connection, and I’ve found that being vulnerable in my writing is most conducive to that.”
As someone who had her in my top 5 artists in my 2024 Spotify Wrapped, I completely agree with this connection. I hope you can enjoy these songs as much as I have.
Make sure to follow Cactus Tree on Instagram! You can listen to “Playing Dirty” on Spotify below!