Middle of Nowhere

the take

I wouldn’t call this a return to form for Kacey Musgraves, but I think it’s about as close as we will get. And growth is always great. Golden Hour was for the girls who are in love. star-crossed was for the girls who want to commit unspeakable violence upon the men who do them wrong. And Deeper Well was for the girls who want to read your palms at a house party while rolling on molly. This album though, this album is great. I’ve been an outspoken fan of Kacey Musgraves’ music for a really long time, but this album blew me away. The Texas influence has never been more evident from the drawl in her voice to the Tejano influence in the production. Kacey is a pivotal piece in the country machine right now, and thank God for that. The songs are so well-written, yet some are so fucking funny. Some people want to call her the Sabrina of country music, but she’s been witty her whole career and needs no comparison. (Both are great by the way, love Sabrina). Kacey is someone you see screaming at her daughter’s softball game while drinking tequila straight from her Stanley cup at a 7 AM. This is why she’s great, there needs to be no further explanation. I lied…here’s some more explanation. ‘Back on the Wagon’ is Kacey doing what Kacey does best. This is her self-deprecating sense of pessimism wrapped in a clean country bow. You then have songs like ‘Mexico Honey’ where the cadence is elevated and the vibes are lifted beyond belief. Wrapping the album out with a bang on ‘Hell on Me’ which I think may be one of her greatest songs ever made. I’m a sucker for a simple guitar and some heavy lyrics and this song is just that. Except Kacey conveys an emotion in a way that feels like it’s being captured in a whole new light. Best songs: Dry Spell, Back On The Wagon, Coyote, Horses and Divorces, Mexico Honey, and Hell On Me