Case Oats: Last Missouri Exit [Album Review]

Case Oats
Last Missouri Exit
Merge Records [2025]

“From Missouri roots to Chicago nights, Last Missouri Exit makes honesty sound like home.”

Album Overview: Case Oats began in 2018 when bandleader Casey Gomez Walker bluffed her way into a Chicago show before she even had a band. That leap of faith pushed her to assemble a lineup that stuck, growing into the Chicago-based but Missouri-rooted group we hear today. The band now includes Gomez Walker on vocals and acoustic guitar, Spencer Tweedy (drums), Max Subar (guitar, pedal steel), Scott Daniel (fiddle), and Jason Ashworth (bass).

Their debut, Last Missouri Exit, pulls straight from Gomez Walker’s Missouri upbringing and her move toward Chicago, framing that physical journey as a metaphor for leaving childhood behind and stepping into adulthood. Recorded mostly in a basement with a stripped-down setup, the songs balance intimacy and memory with the loose chemistry of a band learning each other’s rhythms.

Musical Style: Last Missouri Exit blends folk, country, and indie rock in a way that feels lived-in rather than ornamental. Acoustic guitar and fiddle intertwine with pedal steel and organ, while steady rhythms keep everything grounded. The arrangements leave plenty of space for Gomez Walker’s voice—sometimes soft and reflective, sometimes bright and cutting loose. It’s music that feels tied to place, equally suited for a back-porch sunset or a midnight highway drive.

Evolution of Sound: From a self-released single and scrappy shows to a fully realized debut, Case Oats have grown into a confident ensemble. The basement recordings give the album a direct, unvarnished quality, while later home sessions add warmth and nuance to the vocals. Compared to their earliest efforts, Last Missouri Exit expands the band’s sonic palette while keeping the closeness of their first performances intact.

Artists with Similar Fire: If you’re into Waxahatchee’s stripped-back folk rock, Iris DeMent’s plainspoken Americana, or Hurray for the Riff Raff’s grounded storytelling, this record will click right away. Fans of The Jayhawks will also hear echoes of their melodic alt-country sway, where harmonies and heart anchor every track. Add in a touch of Jonathan Richman’s humor-meets-heart style, and you’ve got a record that thrives on space and simplicity, letting Gomez Walker’s words carry the weight.

Pivotal Tracks: “Seventeen” first turned heads with its snapshot of small-town urgency and teenage restlessness, setting up the record’s broader themes. “In a Bungalow” aches with the longing for a hometown softened by distance. “Nora,” with its ’60s-inspired bounce, turns jealousy into gratitude, a refreshing flip on the usual heartbreak tale. And “Bitter Root Lake” might be the record’s most affecting moment—a plainspoken confession that feels both fragile and lived-in.

Lyrical Strength: Gomez Walker’s creative-writing background is on full display, turning sharp details and conversational phrasing into songs that linger. Her lyrics manage to be wry and weighty at the same time, capturing contradictions in love, loyalty, and self-discovery. The Midwest isn’t dressed up as myth here—it’s the lens through which she explores growing up, moving on, and still feeling the pull of home.

Final Groove: Last Missouri Exit is a promising debut that feels both skeletal and sturdy—an album that wins you over with plainspoken honesty more than polish. It’s not flawless, but its charm lies in that rough-edged warmth, the sense of a songwriter still finding her footing yet already telling stories worth leaning into. Case Oats have opened the door with this record; where they step next should be worth tracking.

CASE OATS LINKS
Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Merge Records