OK Cowgirl Contemplate Life’s What-Ifs On New Album ‘Rhinestone Cowgirl’
Photo by Michelle LoBianco
It’s always tempting to think about the path you didn’t take. What would’ve happened if one thing had been different? If you had been different? That is the theme that lies at the heart of OK Cowgirl’s latest album, Rhinestone Cowgirl.
The band, made up of singer-songwriter Leah Lavigne, guitarist Jacob Sabinsky, multi-instrumentalist John Miller, bassist Ryan Work, and drummer Matt Birkenholz, deliver a tight collection of songs, all with a 00s rock feel, plus plenty of Western influences. The expansive production on each song creates a rich sonic environment, bringing to mind empty stretches of highway and desert skies.
The songs see OK Cowgirl dive into those nagging feelings of curiosity that inevitably arise as you get older. On album opener “Rock N Roll Ruined My Life,” Lavigne admits the life of a musician has its drawbacks, adding, “Could’ve been a suburban wife” over garage-rock guitars that wouldn’t sound out of place on The O.C. soundtrack.
On title track “Rhinestone Cowgirl,” a laidback song with a Western twang, Lavigne tracks her exit from a small town, and the friend who didn’t end up leaving with her. She even shouts out another artist who has managed to keep hold of their rural roots, while still growing into the person they want to be. “Thank god for Ethel Cain,” she sings, “‘Cause some people know how to hold on to where they come from, but still become who they are.”
Rhinestone Cowgirl also makes time for love songs. “God Made A Farmer,” a swinging, guitar-driven track is the stuff classic country songs are made of, with lyrics about love seeing you through the hard times. “We scramble for money, we fight for our time // don’t you think we deserve much simpler lives?” Lavigne asks, adding, “Got no answers to share…Thank God I got you.”
“Coffee and Conversation” is another song that wouldn’t sound out of place in a country and Western bar, with a twangy guitar line and reverb-heavy vocals that match the lovey-dovey, one-two-three waltz rhythm of the track.
The last two songs on the album are standouts, exploring the complications that can come from a life well-lived. “Prepared To Lose,” built on sing-song verses and a steady drumbeat, reminds the listener that life is short, which can be good or bad, depending on your viewpoint — “Thousand ways to live, thousands ways to go // thank God we just die once.”
Album closer “Suspended Disbelief” is a haunting meditation on grief; particularly, for someone else’s loved one. “I sing a song, then pray to God // that she could fly // on angel’s wings,” Lavigne sings, with equal measures of melancholy and sweetness. “I didn’t know her long enough // but she made you // and you’re my favorite thing.”
OK Cowgirl’s Rhinestone Cowgirl is a moving collection of songs that will get you thinking about your own un-traveled roads and might-have-beens. Sit back, relax, and let OK Cowgirl sing you through it.
Listen to Rhinestone Cowgirl below:
August 21, 2026
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