Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well (March 15, 2024) Album • Page 23

Album could be a very strong EP, but it’s still good as a whole. I still think Sway is one of her best songs.

 

For those missing her kitschy/sarcastic side, I don't really see that coming back, at least not as pervasively as it featured on the first two albums. But I'd recommend the new Megan Moroney album, which definitely has a lot of that spirit. This song, in particular, definitely struck me immediately as something that could have been an early Kacey Musgraves song.

 

This is great. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Glad you enjoyed it! This one is my favorite on the album:

 

I feel like a much more mature and subdued version of Kacey emerged with this album. Star Crossed seems to be a sort of confused, transitory album in that way. On the flip-side, there is a real sense of identity on this but just without the cheeky lyrics.

 

I can't remember if I already said this in this thread, but I do think that her tongue-in-cheek writing style is just not the kind of thing that she could have done for five straight albums. It felt so fresh on Same Trailer, but was already scanning as a tad less sharp and a tad less organic to me on Pageant Material. My favorite songs on that album, by far, are the ones that gesture toward what she did on Golden Hour ("Someone to Love" and "Miserable," especailly) and definitely not the ones that are less effective versions of, like, "Follow Your Arrow" and "Blowin' Smoke" (stuff like "Cup of Tea" or "This Town" or "Family Is Family"). I still really love those first two albums, but I'm glad she evolved.

I also think what she was doing back then really works best in a traditional country leaning mode, and I just don't think she wants to make music like that anymore. The country establishment was not welcoming to her and her music, and she found way more success by opening it up on Golden Hour. This album actually feels to me the most "country" she's been since the Christmas album, and I doubt she'd go much further.

 

for me it's not about being tongue in cheek specifically, it's that she used to just have a unique voice and storytelling, the songs she was singing really brought interesting viewpoints to the table, things that are uniquely her. That's why star crossed was so disappointing, because she could have given her unique perspective on divorce but instead the songs are so faceless and lack anything specific or interesting. This album has a bit more of a voice and viewpoint, but it still isn't really that unique... I don't feel like I learn anything about her anymore from her music

 

I honestly think my main complaint with it is that it’s too long. I got to Heaven Is and felt like it was a slog, and I still had 3 songs left. 14 songs in 42 minutes isn’t really all that long, but I feel like something in the 10-12 song range at 33-36 minutes would make the album go by quicker, which I think is fitting for her style here, because it’s not particularly varied.

but that’s not how modern pop works in the streaming era unfortunately.

 

This album is so low on my “this album is too fucking long” offenders list this year. 42 minutes feels pretty perfect.

 

Maybe it being too long isn’t the issue, maybe it’s that it’s pretty one note for 42 minutes. Regardless, I don’t have any issue with one song here, it just all goes in one ear and out the other, aside from just a few highlights. Pleasant enough though.

 

All the bonus tracks are pretty similar to the rest of the album, nothing really stood out on first listen for me

 

The b-sides from the album sound like the album?! No shit Steve!

 

where's my eye-rolling emoji

 

Get our asses

 

These are pretty great? "Flower Child" and "Superbloom" are awesome. I guess it doesn't matter now but I think some of these easily would have given the original album a better first impression.

 

these songs are fucking great

 

Could lose the collab tracks but the rest is good stuff. The vocal on “Arm’s Length” is one of her best.

 

new songs are alright. only a couple match the quality of the base album for me (Flower Child and Arms Length), but they're all a pleasant listen.

 

"Ruthless" was the track you got if you bought the download from her website, and I've loved it since then.

 

Pageant Material - 8
Golden Hour - 7.75
Same Trailer Different Park - 7.5
Star-Crossed - 7.5
Deeper Well - 7.25

After spending a good amount of time with the new album I think this is where my rankings stand.

1. Late to the Party
2. Merry Go 'Round
3. Miserable
4. Sway
5. Die Fun
6. Dime Store Cowgirl
7. Follow Your Arrow
8. Star-Crossed
9. Butterflies
10. There is a Light
11. Nothing to Be Scared Of
12. Fine
13. Keep It to Yourself
14. Cup of Tea
15. Somebody to Love
16. Silver Lining
17. Back On the Map
18. Oh, What a World
19. Jade Green
20. Justified

Also my top 20 songs. I knew I loved Sway but I didn't realise how high it would rank.

 

Pageant Material doesn't get enough love. That run of High Time through the title track is phenomenal

 

Pageant Material is fourth on my rankings at this point. Too many songs I think are just ok.

 

Golden hour is a 10
Pageant and trailer are 9s
Deeper well is a 7
Star crossed is a 5

kacey, if you are reading, I will bump up any scores if you call me