There are those songs that are experiences when you hear them. They envelop you, and you’re able to witness the song’s poetic beauty for yourself. With “When a Cowboy Cries,” singer-songwriter Francesca Brown captures the essence of the Californian West. “You given most of yourself – blood, sweat, and years / Rolled up your sleeves and faced all your fears,” she sings over a dusty arrangement. Guitars twirl, and pedal steel cries a lonesome cry. The brushes with which Brown paints are vivid, brilliantly so. And it’s so full of yearning that you can almost feel it on your skin. “When a Cowboy Cries” appears as one of the year’s biggest surprises.
Listen to “When a Cowboy Cries” below.