Originally the New Paltz-based project Be Cool Cowboy had a singular songwriter in Mike Parish, whose DIY tendencies were bleeding through his debut, Me and the Machine. Built on the simple premise of fuzzed out guitars laid over a drum machine, Parish whips up quirky Weezer-esque melodies infused with a bit of BAMF-ness of Jake Rollins. Often practicing at a DIY space called My Place Pizza, Parish started to collaborate with the restaurant/DIY space owner Pat Fitzgerald, with other band members Tim Lampasona and Chris Walker joining shortly after.

For this record, Parish tells us that he’s trying to expand Be Cool Cowboy’s sound for the new record, Wild Lies, whose name derives from its first single, “Believer”. Effervescence through simplicity, the track opens with gritty Britt Daniel-like progressions that chug alongside squishy synthesizers. With the band’s new additions, an underlying melodicism ushers Parish’s gruff vocals (“When all the things you thought you knew were just a lie someone told you what kind of make-believe would make you fell better?”). Lies are naturally occurring in the everyday, but at times, lies can keep us going, whether it’s getting through the mundane or other lies.

Wild Lies is due out early next year (1/4/2017), but in the meantime, play the track in the car with the windows down and cruise to anywhere.

Cereal Pairing: Rice Crispies