“Placeholder”

Aug 7

This review can be found at The ANTI Magazine.

Oliver Tree Delivers an Instant Pop Punk Classic with His New Single “Placeholder”

Break out the hair dye and black eyeliner, a new emo staple just dropped.

The unpredictable and intriguing Oliver Tree released the second single for the deluxe version of his sophomore album Cowboy Tears. The single, “Placeholder,” dropped on July 15 and Tree describes it as a pop punk anthem. The track, produced by Tree, Travis Barker, and Nick Long, definitely lives up to the anthemic goal. Barker and Long’s influences can clearly be heard on the track - featuring deep guitar and bass on top of syncopated drums reminiscent of a Blink song. Known for playing with genres and blurring lines, Tree has created something new and uniquely his own. “Placeholder” stays true to a classic pop punk song, but still has Tree’s signature all over it.

Blistering and raw, the single shows off Tree’s lyrics and vocal style. He almost shouts his words, bringing the stinging emotion to the forefront of the track. Lyrics such as “We both know I’m your placeholder/I’m stuck waiting, getting older” reflect on how relationships and times in our life are “placeholders,” simply filling space until we are ready to move on. He’s running in place, wanting for something more, but can’t escape his insecurities.A lighter, shimmery guitar sound accompanies the verses and bridges - it provides layers, giving this emotional track a bit of hope here and there. As “Placeholder” comes to an end, the final few bars are only layered vocal lines, really sealing the deal on the track as a pop punk anthem.

ree remains clever and a bit cheeky, though. Some of his lyrics say things like “we both feel dead inside,” but his intonation hints at simultaneous serious and teasing tones. Despite the heavy message about a human being becoming a “placeholder,” Oliver Tree claims the inspiration comes from a silverware set at a dinner he attended. He says, “The person who was supposed to be sitting next to me didn’t show up and it was the most beautiful, elegant plate and utensils set up that went completely unused. Afterwards I drove directly to the studio and wrote a song about it.” Tree doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, even in an emo song.

Tree is releasing the deluxe version of the album Cowboy Tears at the end of the summer. “Placeholder” and his earlier single, “I Hate You” will be included in the album. Oliver Tree captures the right mix of unique and catchy in his music, so be sure to give him a listen before the new album comes out in a few weeks.