What does it sound like?:
I’ve put off writing a review of this because a) I was hoping someone else might do it and b) I loved her last album, Golden Hour, so much that I wanted to be absolutely sure about how I felt about this one before I committed myself.
Golden Hour is probably my favourite album of the last 10 years and shamefully wronged in not winning our Album of the Year poll. It’s the result of an artist on top form backed up with a production team that understand what her songs and her voice need to maximise their impact. She’s moved from pop-tinged country to country-tinged pop over the 4 albums but she’s never fully had a foot in either camp, however, musically or lyrically. She hit a peak with Golden Hour – sublime melodies and a production that wraps around the essence of the songs and THAT voice and won’t let you out.
Someone cleverer than me said about Golden Hour – “The mystical grandeur of Golden Hour creates a magnetic effect as Kacey Musgraves sings simply about the world as if she’s the first person to notice, and you’re the first one she’s telling”
Which ever way you cut it, following that up was always going to be difficult.
With Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk still on production and some writing duties the album doesn’t deviate very far, musically, from what made GH so good and that will undoubtedly colour your view of this album, but lyrically the rose tinting of life has gone. This is her divorce/break up album – so upfront and personal at times that it might impact your feelings about the album. There are no punches pulled here and the songs seem to take a straight line through the sequence of events so if you’re paying attention to the words you can’t help but get pulled in to the emotion of the thing. All of that is reflected in the structure of the album, there’s no filler in the tracks – 15 shorter songs and several of them are under three minutes.
I love her voice like honey over hot-buttered toast and as you’d expect given the personnel involved, you’ll be humming the tunes and hooks from the songs in no time at all. As good as Golden Hour? Not quite, but not far off.
What does it all *mean*?
If you’re interested, there’s a 48 minute film to accompany it. It’s interesting but no more than that, not sure it adds anything but it’s not just a series of song videos strung together.
Goes well with…
Release Date:
Out now
Might suit people who like…
Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift (!) Daniel Tashian, Silver Seas, A Girl Called Eddy etc etc
Vulpes Vulpes says
Thanks, I’ll be following your review up – I’ve been stringing along since she rocked up in the park and brought her own trailer; she’s really good.
Ainsley says
THAT performance from Saturday Night Live
dai says
This was when my regular “Kacey Musgraves naked” Google searches finally came up trumps.
* Not really
niallb says
Great review. Like you, I adore GH so was a bit put off by the really ‘anti’ reviews which appeared everywhere for this one. I shall give it a listen with fresh ears, following your review.
Moose the Mooche says
Same here.
Carl says
I have to say that it is a bit disappointing after the glories of Golden Hour.
I like it well enough, but I I don’t love it. My wife feels much the same.
The proof of that lies in the number of times it gets played. GH was played every day for weeks, this comes out every few days in the hope that we’ll find something we missed that will propel it into the stratosphere.
johnw says
I’ve only listened to this three or four times now. I’m a bit sad about it. I really like her first two albums but I think (unlike the rest of the world) that Golden Hour is a bit bland. Star Crossed seems to me just further in the wrong direction.
SteveT says
I love the first two albums too but didnt get Golden Hour.I have this onè and like it very much – in fact it will probably encourage me to go out and buy Golden Hour.
Ainsley says
Will be interesting to see how you feel about GH going back to it. From my perspective, its hard to get my head around thinking GH isn’t just that notch above star-crossed 😊
Feedback_File says
Well I really like the new one and also thought GH was superb. I was a bit put off at first by the up front auto tuning sound on her voice in places but it’s done for artistic/musical reasons ‘cos this girl can sing. Maybe it’s a tad blander musically and less varied in style than Golden Hour but still very good.
Ainsley says
I was going to add something about the autotune as it’s more evident than on GH, but I agree, it seems to be an artistic choice where its used.
Mind you, if you watch this video, you get the impression that no-one is free from autotune at the moment.
fentonsteve says
I can’t stand Autotune and it puts me off buying any record I hear it, except for Cher’s ‘Believe’ which is one of my absolute faves.
moseleymoles says
I am back at Golden Hour and after a second listen through I think she has a great voice, this is a fine pop album – but like many of the best (Madonna, Kylie) it has four or five absolute bangers (IMHO Slow Burn, Butterflies, Space Cowboy High Horse, Golden Hour) and some lights that shine not quite so brighly. Good enough to explore her catalogue further, not good enough though to actually purchase.
moseleymoles says
Ok Golden Hour can have an upgrade on another listen – what we used to call Side A is pretty exceptional, golden even. But there is dip in quality to side 2 and if she’d ended the album on Happy and Sad it would be pretty flawless. Velvet Elvis is a bit meh, High Horse a bit too Kylie and I can usually take or leave a solo piano ballad, as here with Rainbow.
Ainsley says
Folk are strange, ain’t they? Rainbow is my favourite track (although it’s a close run thing). Actually made me cry once – must have caught me at a bad moment.