Despite dazzling imagery, ‘Goldie Montana’ lacks depth

The album’s heroine is on the run, but it’s unclear from what
Image by: Arden Mason-Ourique
Goldie Boutilier’s debut album was released on Sept. 5.

Listening to Goldie Boutilier’s debut album feels like waiting for a storm that never starts.

Released on Sept. 5, Goldie Montana features four singles from 11 tracks total. The supposed strength of  Goldie Boutilier Presents Goldie Montana was forecasted by the excellent arrangements on Boutilier’s popular EPs, Cowboy Gangster Politician (2022) and The Actress (2024). With over a million monthly listeners on Spotify, Boutilier seemed primed for overnight stardom if she could’ve delivered a hit album. Unfortunately, Goldie Montana is more show than tell, over-relying on vague aesthetics and flashy lyrics to make up for boring songwriting.

The album starts with its first single and strongest track, “King of Possibilities.” Vintage keys and breathy vocals set up a steady rhythm, perfect for lyrics like “Wheels touch down in a gold dust town / Money grows on trees, sex is in the breeze.” The song is sinister, taking its time to introduce the listener to Goldie Montana, a character based on Boutilier’s “alter ego.”

“Neon Nuptials” picks up the pace with a soft-rock beat and shimmering guitars, depicting a romance too whirlwind to succeed. Lyrics like “And all the wedding bells / Saved me from myself” tread a thin line between insipid and insistent, drawing the listener in even if the story is somewhat predictable.

But predictability never turns to surprise as Boutilier performs the same tricks on “Snake Eyes” and “Favourite Fear.” Both tracks present Montana’s character as a hollow femme fatale trope, surrounded by wealth and love gone wrong as she rises above the lovers she hurts.

This repetition becomes tiresome on “I Am the Rich Man.” The song’s title references a viral clip from ’95 singer Cher explaining in an interview that she has become the “rich man” her mother hoped she’d marry. The quote has echoed around the internet, yielding hundreds of search results on TikTok. Boutilier’s “I Am the Rich Man” adds nothing new to this dialogue, relying on cheap lyrics like, “Maybe I don’t need a man / Is that even allowed?” Montana’s character is a supposed debutante-turned-outlaw, and this revelation feels shallow at best.

This is the crux of Goldie Montana’s failure: lyrics and rhythms which seem more complex than they are, aimed at virality rather than genuine artistry. “Must be nice / To grow up without sacrifice,” Boutilier sings on “Terrible Things.” This sacrifice is never explained.

The music is generally catchy, especially the Fleetwood Mac-adjacent drums and keyboards on “Who Are You Gonna Worship Now?” The album’s titular track, “Goldie Montana,” is a standout for its biting vocals and reverb-drenched guitar. “I Can’t” is the album’s most poignant song, filled with ethereal harmonies, electrifying lead guitar and simple lyrics that pack a punch. However, the country-rock sound always feels like it’s going to drop the beat and never does, leaving the listener unsatisfied but not wanting more.

The album is similar to Suki Waterhouse’s Memoir of a Sparklemuffin (2024) for having the concepts of an excellent album that never quite materialize. Although for Waterhouse, Sparklemuffin was a pop-rock departure from her slower hit songs, where for Boutilier Goldie Montana feels like more of the same. Boutilier certainly feels in charge of her debut work, but the direction she takes the project is unclear.

Goldie Montana is worth listening to for its vintage feel and solid production, where Boutilier’s fantastic voice shines. But as for a work of art, the album lacks purpose. Like fool’s gold, Montana’s character hints at complexity and intrigue, which turns out to be nothing.

Tags

Album review, Goldie Boutilier, Music, Pop Culture, rock

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