Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
2018
Album Summary
Golden Hour is the fourth studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves, released on March 30, 2018, through MCA Nashville. Musgraves co-wrote all 13 tracks and co-produced the album with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.Golden Hour debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album and its songs won in all four of their nominated categories at the 61st Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album. The album's first two singles also won awards: "Butterflies" for Best Country Solo Performance and "Space Cowboy" for Best Country Song. Golden Hour also won Album of the Year at the 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards. In 2020, Golden Hour was ranked at 270 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
WikipediaNow I do like this album, and I think comes down to a few things: 1. Female country vocalists are way more palatable to me. 2. Some really unique production things going on in a few songs that spice it up. 3. It really tiptoes the line of what I dislike about modern pop and what I dislike about modern country in a way that succeeds at avoiding both.
Is this serious? This is definitely NOT an album you must hear. It is one you must simply destroy before It brain damages you.
I remember there was a radio station whose motto was "we play country without the twang", which I saw as a bad thing since country is all about the twang. This is definitely twang-free country. Country pop with an empahasis on the pop. I can see people liking this. The melodies are fairly catchy. I won't give her a 1 because that would put her in the same chapter in my book as The Circle Jerks, George Michael & those fuckin' Eagles.
This doesn't feel particularly special. Got to the second song and felt like the album was dragging on.
Not usually a country fan but this was an enjoyable listen. Loved the production on this album and all of the cool chord progressions. The tone of the album felt pretty consistent throughout as well. A pleasant surprise! Favourite Tracks: Slow Burn, Lonely Weekend, Space Cowboy
When this album came out, I had previously listened to Pageant Material, and I could tell that Kacey was a bit different from the average country artist. But "a bit different" has nothing on this album. It's got remnants of country music, in some of the imagery and instrumentation, but so much of it veers into mainstream pop or even indie territory. I could see this being very jarring for country fans, and possibly still too country for those who hate country, but for me it hit a sweet spot that I didn't know existed. Kacey's voice is a glass cannon--it's fragile and vulnerable, but it hits like a truck. She cuts through every instrumental to deliver lyrics that turn the mundane into something at least clever, if not profound. Compare, for example, "Space Cowboy," a song spun out of a pun that's relished on every chorus, and "Mother," a one minute "try not to cry" challenge that I have never beat. A lot of times on here I'm reminded of artists like Sufjan Stevens or Phoebe Bridgers, both artists who excel at turning the everyday into something powerful. I think Phoebe and Sufjan are more skilled writers, but Kacey brings their sensibilities to pop, which is neat. The melodies and chord progressions throughout are addictive; they may be poppy but damn do they work to destroy me. Of course I have this on vinyl, it's my favorite album of 2018 and one of my favorites of the last decade. As much disdain as I have for the racist institution that the Grammys have become, giving this AOTY was one of the best calls they've made in recent memory. Of course it's a 5 for me. Favorite tracks: I love this whole thing, and my favs change all the time, but Oh, What a World, Slow Burn, Space Cowboy, Golden Hour, Mother. Album art: Absolutely love this one. For me, at least, it's become iconic, but that designation needs more time. For now, I just love the color contrast here, the solid blue sky behind Kacey and her fan thing. A little bit of blur or distortion adds to it too. 5/5
Cut from the same cloth as early Taylor Swift, with consistently great songwriting, lyrics, and vocal performance, even if a few tracks weren’t really my taste. A great country pop album. Unfortunately, the fact that Space Cowboy was not, in fact, about cowboys in space, was a major letdown.
It's so lovely to find an album you like in a genre you don't typically enjoy. This feels closer to folk these days, instead of the bro-cou try you otherwise tend to hear
I had no clue that this singer existed. This album made me silly-happy. Guess I found a new thing.
I love this album. Psychedelic pop country is a genre I didn't know I wanted or needed when I first heard Butterflies.
So they expanded the initial 1001 list so we could include this? I like country music but not the white collar variety. She says John Prine is one of her main influences. I'll take JP but his influence seems very well composted under piles of white collar and Las Vegas styles of country.
Oh yes, Slow Burn is such a mood. Also really enjoy Butterflies, Space Cowboy, and High Hopes. Mother hit a nerve, it's short and bittersweet but being so far away from my family right now gave it punch. This album is just what I needed. I really appreciate her California country vibe.
This album feels like getting a nice long hug from a good friend you haven't seen in a while. One of my favorites.
This was one of my top albums of 2018 although I admit I put it lower on my list than I should have. This album has aged incredibly well and I can't believe it's been four years already since it's release. Feels like yesterday. I love this album. Every song on it is special in it's own unique way and stirs up memories of this or that. Both memories of when the album came out and growing up in Texas. Funny, it took me till this album to find out who Kacey Musgraves was so after I went back to her other prior albums and enjoyed those almost as much. I think this was her best album and I think the Grammy's agreed.
I’ve loved this album since its release, but for some reason I was very surprised to find Kacey Musgraves on this list. I’m really happy she is. GOLDEN HOUR is such a nice album… it flows along with strong country roots mixed with a lot of other vibes. Who doesn’t want to take their “High Horse” out on the dance floor?! But this album is mostly made up of more contemplative songs that flow gently along like a wonderful stream. I’m sure there are country purists who will judge, but I’m very happy Kacey Musgraves has made this list!
Well this was a delightful surprise! This was such a perfect soundtrack to a lunchtime walk on a beautiful spring day. Kacey Musgraves in my ears, sunshine and a smile on my face. I loved her voice, her songwriting, and the creative instrumentation of this album. I enjoyed how she played around with the country genre to create something fun and so engaging. I enjoyed every song. A few notes include the creative reuse of the "Space Cowboy" title, the gloriously lovely "Velvet Elvis," the clever "Wonder Woman," the exquisite country-disco mashup of "High Horse," the beautiful title track "Golden Hour"... and the rest!
I was impressed with this album when it first came out and still think it is very good. We get a strong sense of who Kacey Musgraves is from this record and I thought it blended country with contermporary pop very well. The Melodies in lonely weekend, velvet Elvis, and High Horse were all super catchy.
Probably the most surprising album to date. I love it! I haven’t been able to move on to today’s album because this one has been on repeat. It’s labeled country pop. I hear a little twang here and there, but there is more pop than country, which is a good thang.
Yeah this is fantastic. Even ignoring the title, this album just brings such a warm feeling and thorough comfort with it. Part of that is just what country music does (although it is not at all my favorite genre), but Kacey’s voice has a great delicate mess to it which amplifies that. Really creative song topics/lyrics and production stays fresh by working in elements of electronic, dance, and pop. 9/10
A masterpiece of pop country. Kaceys voice is on a whole nother level here. The albums closer is stunning and brilliant. Top to bottom there’s no skips to be had. Absolutely incredible album. Listen to this one!
Enjoyed this. Modern country, some fun twists and turns in instrumentation. And the girl can write some vicious lyrics.
hehehehehehehehehe have listened to this since 2018. STILL MAKES ME HAPPY and sad at the same time :'((
Something about this album rolls off the tongue so well. I fell in love with “slow burn” awhile ago and was happy to see this album was on the list as I knew I’d like it. It met all my expectations and then some. Will definitely listen again in the future.
Beautiful. Goes a bit too 'poppy' for me over the last few tracks, but the initial two thirds of this album is wonderful. Absolutely loved it - straight onto my playlist.
Listened to on 8/17/22 5/5 Favorite song: space cowboy, happy + sad, butterflies, slow burn I love this album - Kacey is such a talented artist and her songwriting skills are amazing. I listened to this album all day long and only wound up liking it more and more
Automatic five stars since I own this album and have listened to it many times. I adore this album. This is the ninth album I’ve already heard (just released I had miscounted earlier, ugh). I was a little late to this album as I only discovered Kacey Musgraves in late 2018. Someone had added “Oh, What a World” onto a shared playlist I was on, and it was love at first listen. I’ve been a big fan of ever since.
Very nice surprise. Nora Jones via Katie Melua. Great singer and some beautiful songs to meditate to.
So much more than country, Golden Hour combines electronic, folk and pop influences. It provides the perfect backdrop for Musgraves’ exploration of loss, love and maturation.
Without a doubt, this was a personal 5; one forced oneself to listen after reading all the plaudits and awards, despite being ready to loathe it, was taken aback by a thoroughgoing (even deep) enjoyment, which has largely lasted on subsequent listening across multiple years. But it might fall just short in pure critical terms. “Slow Burn” is a great opener, and “Lonely Weekend” nearly matches it. “Happy and Sad” is terrific, real pathos hiding in the easy beats and the title track is as good a love song as one has heard in years – really it should close the record. Perhaps one has to be a writerly type (as one is) or exceedingly editorial-minded (ditto) to appreciate the full and profound significance of the comma in “Space, Cowboy.” There is a precision-engineered, high-end feel to these songs, as if this is the absolute best and most advanced pop-country-music industrial complex can produce. The songs are almost clinically good (winningly so in “Oh What a World” and “Wonder Woman,” less effectively with “Velvet Elvis” and “High Horse” both of which one can do without because they seem jokey toss-offs, what with the cutesy production flourishes.) And yet one was deeply moved by the title cut upon first listening and still love it, can be touched even, when one slows down to listen to it. [Weird that this record is not listed in one’s book, nor on the 1001.net site, even under the exes.] 4.5 / 5 (rounding up for personal meaning)
Not in my edition of the book! 2018. 5 stars The millennium lovechild of The Dixie Chicks, Joni Mitchell and Lana Del Rey. Great songs, lovely voice, classy warm production and excellent musicianship. On the repeat play list.
A solid country record with some modern (and retro) twists. The influences range from Dusty Springfield to what sounds like Daft Punk? Pretty nuts and caught me totally by surprise. Favorite tracks: "Slow Burn", "Butterflies", "Space Cowboy", "High Horse"
"Golden Hour" is the fourth studio album from Kacey Musgraves. She co-wrote and co-produced with Daniel Tadhian and Ian Fitchuk. The music is classified as country pop with elements of disco, electropop, electronica and yacht rock. Yeah, without knowing anything, I would just classify this as pop. This is a nice sounding and very well-produced album. Kacey said she wrote a lot of love songs, which she hadn't too much before, as she just was coming off getting married and was in her golden hour. Never bashful about publicly stating she does drugs, she said she wrote a few songs under the influence of acid. Good for her. This album was a huge success being nominated for and winning four Grammy's including album of the year. This album is filled with hits. It starts with "Slow Burn" and its guitar-driven and "poppy" sound. Great lyrics..."Born in a hurry, always late." Nice lyrical use of contrasts. Another nice sounding song is the second single "Butterflies." Good production with its keyboards and piano. She uses a vocoder in "Oh, What a World." Another enjoyable, optimistic song. Guitar. Banjo. The album second half continues her run of singles. "Space Cowboy" might be its most country-sounding song. Slide guitar. Dreamy...yeah, this is one of the ones she wrote tripping. Give her man some space. "High Horse" incorporates more of a dance beat and chunky bass line. This reminds me more of a late 70's song. She even sounds nice telling her man to hit the road. The album ends with her final single "Rainbow." A beautiful ballad. Rain and rainbow imagery. An uplifting song about not giving up... There's always a rainbow above your head. I saw Kacey at Lollapalooza the following year and she was very good. This is a great album with a lot of top-notch pop songs. I don't if she'll ever reach these heights again but she doesn't have to; she has this.
I'm a huge swiftie so I'm familiar with Musgraves, but I'd never actually had a reason to listen to her. I know people have tried to make up beef between these two (which I don't get) but I understand why. This album is very early Taylor before she went much more pop / indie. And I love it. I'm a sucker for stuff. Great country with pop infusion. Need to dig into her discography more.
Vaikea arvosteltava, joka toki on paikkansa tällä listalla ansainnut. Tutustuin levyyn sattumalta muutama vuosi sitten heti ilmestymisen jälkeen, ja rakastuin heti ensikuuntelulla. Vaikkei levyllä suurempia taiteellisia ansioita olekaan, on se vaan lähes täydellinen pop-levy ilman yhtään huonoa tai turhaa kappaletta. Kaceyn pehmeä ääni toimii erinomaisesti, ja sävellykset ovat häiritsevän tarttuvia. Arvostelun vaikeus tulee siinä, että olen valitettavasti aikanaan puhkikuunnellut tämän levyn aika totaalisesti. Kenties pari vuotta sitten arvostelu olisi lähennellyt vitosta, mutta juuri nyt nelonen on passeli.
**12/08/2021** Today's Album: "Golden Hour" by Kasey Musgraves - This first song is surprising me. I at first didn't like her lyricism and felt like it was very country, but the song definitely is growing on me as it goes along. Very pretty. Lonely Weekend is solidifying the idea in my mind that this artist sounds like older Taylor Swift. There's definitely something else, though. The lyrics and production apply to Millennial and Gen Z tastes. As much as I'm not inclined to say any of this is extraordinary, I'm having a hard time skipping this song. There's more and more fun instrumentation that's pulling me in and she does have a really nice voice. Butterflies off the bat catches my attention. The instrumental is so cool and the way the bass cuts in when the verse starts is amazing. The chorus is so good and even though it sounds really country, it's not really turning me away. The synth in between the verses is so bubbly and cool. She is making her sound more distinct from other country pop I've heard in this song. I was absolutely not expecting an intro like Oh, What a World. That's pretty cool and I really like the Radiohead-like swells in the background of this song. The positivity of this song is starting to wane on me, but I think the instrumentals being so bright really accompanies the aesthetic. Mother is a slower ballad. Despite it being so short, it's able to pack a decent bit of emotional punch and it doesn't even get very large musically. Love is A Wild Thing is a pretty fun Swift-like song. It has banjo in the back and some fiddle to give it that full country sound, but there are some other things that set it apart slightly like some cool psychedelic sounds and wavy synths. Space Cowboy is a really solid tear jerker in the album. The reverbed and distorted guitar add a perfect sadness to this break up song and the way Space Cowboy is used as, "Ill give you your Space, Cowboy" is really clever. I think I really expected this album to lose me some time in the middle, but it really has stayed diverse enough to make me really get into the base country-pop sound. Happy & sad keeps this sad beat, but has a happy overtone over her feelings about the break-up. She actually is really opening herself up in this album, and this song is about how she feels depressed, but relieved because her relationship has ended. Velvet Elvis is a great upbeat track to pick things up after the last 2 tracks. She puts on this really strong and confident voice over this bumping guitar and bass and it sounds awesome. The chorus is booming with the choir that joins in and the bumping groove keeps chugging along. This is a great song gotta say. It almost sounds like she's found a new person after this breakup and she's feeling on top of the world with them. The psychedelic guitars and then distorted solo guitars sound fucking fantastic. Idk how this isn't a bigger hit bc it's 100% a bop. Wonder Woman pulls things back for a dreamy song about wanting this new relationship with this person that picked her back up after her break-up, but expressing that she's not perfect and can't be like all of the rich girls this guy is usually bringing around. She still wants to try with this person even though they're both not perfect. This song is so fun and dreamy. High Horse is a catchy and biting song about people who are on their high horses and are always buzzkills. The instrumental travels places and I really like all of the production choices. This sounds like if kraungbin wrote a dance track and I love it. Golden Hour starts off with this great lo-fi feel and the chorus just bring the listener into this dreamy floaty cloud land. It reminds me of the Shacks for how slow and psychedelic it is. Great track to bring the album around. This album has had great pacing so far and with the last track, Rainbow being the most popular, I have high expectations for sure. Rainbow is a piano ballad that sounds initially a lot like a Paul McCartney song. It's a beautiful song about realizing how beautiful you are. It's a good sad song to end this album on and it really leaves you with that great "end of a great performance" feeling. I relate it most to something like Bo Burnham's, "Goodbye" at the end of Inside. The reverb effects add to this really pretty atmosphere and the piano really takes center stage because it sounds so good. Great end to a great album that really exceeded my expectations from the beginning. Score: 9/10 extremely pleasant Highlights: Lonely Weekend, Butterflies, Space Cowboy, Velvet Elvis, Wonder Woman, Golden Hour, Rainbow
There weren't any songs I really disliked, they were all good. Relaxing and thoughtful vibe to this album. Favourite songs: slow burn, love is a wild thing
Disc lluminós de country pop, ple de melodies brillants i optimistes, 'Oh What a World', 'Space Cowboy', 'Golden Hour', el toc melancòlic de 'Happy and Sad'. Una bonica descoberta
I really liked this album. I love modern, female, country, Americana and this was great. Occasionally a few duff areas but generally very good.
Not my style of music but it was listenable. I thought the more obvious mix of country and modern pop was interesting because it's uncommon to see both put together
This one exceeded expectations. It's a little depressing in parts, but I think you are always gonna get that with country music. Her voice is not really my jam, but I can recognize it's beauty. Songs were well written.
Modern pop country at its finest. Comforting and warm but never sleepy. Sticks with you for quite a while.
Fantastic artist!! Enjoyed listening to the re-release on Apple now in Spatial and Dolby Atmos. Slow Burn is a great start to this album and probably one of my favorite songs. Oh,What a World also is Avery cool listen. A neat play on words in Space Cowboy. My wife's favorite Kacey song High Horse is a fun upbeat sounding tune. This album finishes off nicely with Rainbow. A Great listen.
i enjoyed her voice and the soothing tunes! Harkened me back to when I listened to 10,000 Maniacs and Natale Merchant with Kim back in the day.
Similar feel to mainstream country, but I liked the album quite a bit! A surprising 4 for me. Maybe felt a little more personal / folksy than your country pop with the more pronounced twang and accent.
04/17/2022 Cute, country-pop. Surprised that I dug it as much as I did. Her voice gets a little irritating after a while. Good production value keeps things right on track.
The perfect pop album is a mythical beast and this album goes as close to nailing it as many. The first half is pretty flawless, and her simple but slyly hooky melodies are outstanding. A few more obvious tracks on the B - side let the quality down slightly, (Happy and Sad, Velvet Elvis) and I for one can leave the piano ballad.
Despite it being questionable that this album is a must hear, it is a very solid and enjoyable country pop album. Could do with maybe one or two big hits but overall good
Not exactly necessary on a “must hear before you die” list, but definitely a great listen! More folk than country, Kacey recycles timeless melodies and chord progressions over 45 minutes, and every song is a good listen. Her voice and range are simple and accessible to the listener. I enjoyed this album.
She's more Alison Krauss than Taylor Swift. I mean, Musgraves claims that she wrote two of the best songs while tripping on LSD. That's something Taylor would never fess up to even if it were true (somewhat related: I can't imagine what songs Taylor would compose on LSD, but I'm sure cats and Jake Gyllenhaal would be involved somehow). If I ever get the chance to drop acid, I want Kacey Musgraves to be my guide. I'm alright with a slow burn.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Not for any one particular reason and I don't think it's brilliant in any way. But it's just all-round pretty good and sounds very nice.
Pleasant contemporary country-slash-pop. Blended into the background a bit but was always nice enough when I turned my focus back to it.
I was excited and surprised to see Kacey Musgraves pop up on the list. I am familiar with some of her singles, but haven't ever done an album listen. It did not blow me away like I had hoped that it would, but it was good.
This album was obviously a step up from Pageant Material and I loved how blissful it felt, she managed to weave multiple genres without making it sound clunky. Her writing isn't as poetic as most but still evocative in its simplicity My favourite tracks are: Velvet Elvis, Wonderwoman, Slow Burn, Golden Hour To be honest the middle part of the album are kind of skips for me but she definitely redeems herself near the end The best song on the album is Lonely Weekend hands down Her vocals are very smooth which makes it delightful to listen to Her producers did a very good job, the tracks are seamless and the additional country elements with world instruments make me feel like I'm in a different universe
I liked this. A nice blend of country-ish, singer-songwriter and pop styles. I'll download and listen again.
This falls into the wait and see category for me. I liked it a lot when it was released, although didn't see much more than traditional country songs recorded in other styles. That may not be fair in that there is a lyrical depth that is uncommon in the genre. All that said, the accolades that were heaped on Golden Hour seemed excessive. Six tears later I am still at very good, but not a classic. Time will tell.
Whilst I do love this album, a critical listen let me realise that I don't love all of it. However, it is defo my top country album.
I love a number of songs on this album. Rainbow is one of the best album closers, while others like High Horse and Butterflies are beautifully written and performed.
Heel mooi gezongen en heel leuke melodieuze nummers. Heerlijk album als je van rustige popmuziek met een klein country-sfeertje houdt. ****
Hadn't listened to this album despite being a fan of her first release. Really enjoyed it. 4.5/5
What a great album, I was pleasantly surprised seeing as I’m not a big country fan at all.
Not bad, I actually really like country music in small doses. And at least it’s not about trucks
One of the best modern country artists out there right now. Her list of artists that inspired her is a list that I loved to read from, John Prine (Rest in Peace!) to Alison Krauss (gotta respect somebody from my hometown who went to high school with my dad) to Jim Croce (my favorite songwriter) and even people like, Cake, Weezer, and ELO (the last of those you can hear on the song "Oh, What A World"). I'm leaving some notable country artists off of there but, the point is she has great taste in music. I also love a country artist that is willing to openly support progressive social movements, helps me not feel guilty about enjoying country music. As for this album "Slow Burn" is a wonderful song that is enjoyable to listen to and to find out she was on acid while writing it makes me like her even more. "Butterflies" was intriguing song with a lot to pick apart and some nice bass fills. The middle of the album is peaceful but mostly forgettable. I also quite enjoy the upbeat yet chill energy of "High Horse", it maybe sits a little late in the album for me but I like the song. "Golden Hour" was calm with an interesting guitar line. "Rainbow" is the perfect peaceful, but powerful way to end an album. All in all I enjoyed this album more than I expected to. I was expecting a 3 going in but by the end I felt it was a 4 for me. The calm energy that tows the line of country and folk is a musical spot that I love, though her voice gets a little twangy at points for my liking.
This is a terrific album. She's fairly mainstream at this point, but I do like that she breaks with the Team 'Murica country set. Not quite Outlaw Country which is most to my liking, but trending that way and I like it. Great voice. Great lyrics. Just about every song on this one is solid straight through.
Not my favorite Kacey album, but still a good one. So many good songs.
I've never listened to Kacey Musgraves before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
I discovered this treat of an album last year, and adore the songs Mother, and Rainbow. Such obvious and simple sentiments, but perfectly married to song. What an artist.
Very pleasant and soothing. Would listen again. Favorite was probably Oh What a World.
很乡村的一张专辑了，整体上很熟悉了，很温暖很舒适。这张专辑我室友倒是很喜欢，挺适合人静静地听下去，作为现代乡村音乐是挺成功的一张专辑，但是作为必听的一张我觉得未免还是有些过誉了。
very catchy! i really loved this album, it made me feel happy. a lot of these reviews are low, so i didn’t really expect to love it, I. WAS. WRONG.
Ok if you like white girl folk/pop music. I could see myself listening to again.
Country isn't my favorite, but this was pretty relaxing and good vibes.
+ Slow Burn (4 STARS) - Simple lyrics but good sound + Lonely Weekend (4 STARS) + Butterflies (4 STARS) + Oh, What a World (3 STARS) - too disney + Mother (3 STARS) + Love is a Wild Thing (4 STARS) + Space Cowboy (3 STARS) + Happy & Sad (4 STARS) + Velvet Elvis (4 STARS) + Wonder Woman (4 STARS) + High Horse (4 STARS) - simple lyrics but so dancey + Golden Hour (4 STARS) + Rainbow (5 STARS) OVERALL (4 STARS): Very simple, but sweet and catchy
This was nice. It was country/pop music. It was definitely mainstream but Kacey has a nice voice and the music was a little Faith Hill/Shania Twain/Taylor Swift - y.
Que interesante que este disco venga en esta lista/libro de 1001 discos que debes escuchar antes de morir, uno de los mejores albumes del 2018 y una de las pocas veces que los grammys han estado en lo correcto. En lo personal no es mi disco favorito de ese año pero definitivamente es un disco que me gusta mucho y considero de lo mejor de ese año. 9/10
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Lonely weekend, Love is a wild thing, Wonder woman, High horse
I was originally feeling a 3/5 on this album the whole way through, as there were a couple solid songs with mostly average filler, but my favorite track on this album, high horse (sucker for dream-pop here), made me round it up to a 4/5. 7/10
Kacey musgraves - golden hour (2018) Notes - Country with pop & psychedelic elements - I went through a huuuuuge Kacey musgraves phase in 2020 - There’s something about this album…. The production? The mixing? - It’s the little touches of synth, slide guitar, percussion, atmosphere that makes this album stand out - Kacey isn’t doing anything revolutionary but it still feels great - She sings very delicately for the majority of the album which helps to establish an ethereal atmosphere Fav - Happy & sad - something about the chorus on this song gets me every time Least fav - Wonder Woman - i like the concept of the song but i feel like the instrumental doesnt do it justice 4/5, 2 years ago i wouldve said 5/5
Not a single bad track. Some a little more forgettable than others, but not a single bad one. Excellent album.
I've never been a fan of country outside of the occasional one-off or a few outlaw country albums but I really really like this. The simplicity and clarity of the arrangements, Kacey's almost childlike enunciation and voice seems weirdly authentic and refreshing. Many of the tracks here have more elements than merely country - e.g. vocoder on "Oh, What a World" ?? love it. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I feel like this is like old-school country with modern production, yet avoiding the way-too-common over-produced pitfalls of modern music that make it all so bland and disposable - there's no overlayering or walls of guitars and/or voices; there's just that innocent-sounding clarity to each of these songs that I have no idea why I connect with it ... but maybe I already gave the reasons. 8/10 4 stars.
Listened Before? Y Country music is terrified of this woman. She's deeply intelligent and in-touch. She bares her soul on her records and doesn't do what any Nashville executive tells her to do. The result: pure gold and a giant middle finger. I own this album in two formats, and I listen to it all the time. This is another step in her evolution, and a step further from traditional country sound. This one is a winner. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Butterflies
Ehhh, she's got a great voice, some tracks were good some just washed over me
Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to.
the album starts off pretty mellow and kind of boring and i couldn't really vibe to it. the lyrics were very dry in the beginning. the album picks up during the middle and the end is definitely better. Not a bad album, but not a great one.
Not my style, but was surprised by the first few songs. I caught myself singing to some of them. Voice is crystal clear, maybe a bit too generic for me though. Lyrics are quite simplistic. 2.7/5
While I listened to a healthy amount of Taylor Swift around a decade ago, I didn't really took her seriously until she stepped into the domain of pop. And recently- wait a second, this isn't a Taylor Swift album? So, okay, this is Kacey Musgraves, a country pop singer and this particular album won the Grammy Awards. This album sounds very Taylor-ish. I could make my Swiftie friends listen to some songs from this and make them believe that this is Taylor covering some unpopular song. But while it does sound generic at some places, it's didn't felt outdated, it actually felt modern, at least for me. But perhaps it's only due to the fact that Musgraves explores a lot of sounds throughout this album. Because of that, most of the songs felt, as they put it, overproduced. But I actually liked it more than Taylor's old country stuff. I especially enjoyed the softer and folksier songs. I don't know much yet about the rest of Musgraves stuff, but I think it'll be good if she explored more of the softer side of her sounds.
Se jokin tästä puuttui ja vastaavasti jotain oli liikaa sitä puutetta kompensoimaan. Laulajan ääni oli "ihan kiva", mutta ei kuitenkaan sitten lopulta saanut wau-elämyksiä aikaan. Instrumentteja oli taas puolestaan liikaa tai ne olivat miksattu minun makuun liian kovalle. Tuntui jotenkin täyteenahdetulta. Vertailukohtana tietysti mielen päällä edellisenä arvosteltu hyvinkin riisuttu Cohenin You Want It Darker.
Cet album est la représentation de l'Amerique débile et grasse. Une femme à la voix tout a fait banale, chantant des paroles niaises sur une guitare elle aussi des plus banales. Tous les clichés lyricaux y passent, l'auditeur américain décérébré est servi. Un 3/5 pour la Zaz américaine.
Il s'agit là de quarante-cinq minutes de niaiseries que j'ai pourtant su apprécier. Si l'aspect musical m'a fait passer un très bon moment, les textes principalement orientés en faveur du port d'armes m'ont quant à eux laissé un peu dubitatif.
Kind of disappointed, was expecting more..oomph..two decent songs …forgettable album
This was perfectly pleasant I'd say. Nice country twang music. Didn't massively appeal to me to listen again though
I did go through a bit of a phase of loving this kind of more poppy country (kick started by a One Tree Hill obsession) and throughout that phase I heavily favoured women's voices. I find a lot of men singing country too bro-ish. So although I've never listened to Kacey Musgraves before, I was brought straight back to that phase and it was a nice feeling. I didn't find her story-telling anywhere near as good as T Swift (I think it's fair to compare those two) and I was disappointed by the Space Cowboy song because it wasn't about space, boo! So I'll go in the middle with a 3.
The country vibe makes this a little less accessible to me. I pushed through to the more pop ending which was nice.
I've only heard a few tracks from Musgraves prior to this, but I know I like her voice and I would be open to hearing more of her music. There are times when Musgraves reminds me a little of the Weepies, which is a group I also like. Golden Hour is a good album. My favorite tracks were "Slow Burn" and "Mother". The section of the album from "Space Cowboy" to "High Horse" was too pop, and too pop-country for me. The music was okay but the lyrics had a collection of pop-country tropes. The titles of the songs hint at the content I'm describing. I think Musgraves is talented and worth checking out, but not every track is for me. I'll play "Slow Burn" again.
Some nice ditties… lost me with all the cowboy and ranch shit. Not an unpleasant listen!
Having never heard of this artist before I can say that I throughly enjoyed this album. Lovely melodies and a great addition to the Western genre. Favourite Track - Lonely Weekend
Nice enough, but unoffensive Taylor Swift type country doesn't do it for me
Beautiful music, album is full of somber tracks, not bad. High Horse is a good song
Pleasant yet nothing that hasn’t been done before many times over - some good songs though
Hi- Velvet Elvis, High Horse Lo- Space Cowboy I'll admit I was turned off by this being classified as "Country" when it's mostly contemporary with a little light pop/dance thrown in. The album starts off with the decidedly not-country Slow Burn and Lonely Weekend...appropriate titles and fine enough tracks, they both just drag on a bit too long. Butterflies feels a little more succinct, and Mother is just brief... Space Cowboy is the closest thing to "country" here and well...they can keep it; it's filled with cliché country puns, it almost sounds like a parody, but...it isn't and it's not any better for it. Velvet Elvis is fun and a very enjoyable pop anthem...High Horse has a nice beat and showcases Kacey's silky smooth vocal range. The album concludes with Rainbow, a nice singer-piano send off for a pretty good album overall.
I liked this pretty well, strong Lucinda Williams vibe. In the first half in particular I felt like it really walked a nice line between a solid country foundation with more pop-oriented production. Some of the flip side tipped more into a bland pop sound. Good overall.
Some catchy tunes but I just didn’t find it that memorable overall. Maybe biased against my idea of contemporary country tho
Stealth country. Does what it does pretty well. I probably won't seek it out again, but there's some great songs here.
So pure and easy on the ear after some harsher recent albums on this selecter. Slowed down tempo, but not down-tempo, and better for it. Very enjoyable and reminded me how much I like good quality pop songs / Americana without too much country-fication. Not essential, but very pleasant.
Good but not great. The songs sounded pretty similar to one another I think.
It's a nice listen but mostly nothing too interesting. I was going to give this a 2, but the last three songs were all great so have bumped this up
Really nice slow country music, lyrics are a little dull tho and it's just missing a bit of oomph
Like most things in life, the Law of Diminishing Returns tends to show itself eventually, but on some quicker than others. There is no exception here, a very strong first track garners interest, but all subsequent ones seem to play it safe in some kind of holding pattern. Granted, this is not to presume that anything written here would solve such an experience but a solid start quickly devolves into boredom to where maybe thirteen tracks would have done better with nine or ten. The album is a good album, but it starts out with indications of being great. At the time of this review, Kacey Musgraves is a bona fide star in both pop and country, so along comes expectation that this 2018 album would explain her rise. It does, and perhaps since this 1001 project is more a curation of how things age, the inclusion of this album is not heavily contested but it is not without some questioning. However, what this speaks for the future is up for guesses because what Kacey Musgraves did here has been preceded by only a few others and for that she certainly deserves the praise. Overall, Kacey Musgraves is talented and she sounds great. Her music is easy to listen to and she deserves every accolade she has received for her contributions to music. The question is whether or not this was an album to hear before disembarking this life.
I've never felt so indifferent about an album. I didn't think or feel anything about it. Its just a boring 'ok'.
Perfectly lovely album and lovely person. But songs are all very similar, so it felt like it dragged on a bit.
Un album pop qui est hien produit et quinsomne bien, . De petites nuances d ecountry au travers. 3.80
Not a big fan of popular country music, but this was pleasant enough. 3 stars.
A little too sappy and saccharine for my taste but I can understand the appeal. If I don’t think too hard about the corny lyrics I could see myself tapping my foot and nodding serenely along.
Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to. 3 🌟
I like her voice more than her songs, not real into pop country but her voice is so pleasant.
Solid pop country. Some of the songs got really overplayed on the radio
Well that was very pretty. Nothing outstanding but made me feel warm inside
This album surprised me. I thought I was going to hate it. I didn’t. Not bad
A friend turned me into this album last winter. I find it to be a nice bridge of country and pop, but not of the cookie cutter, saccharine, variety centered around ‘merica, pickups, and ex’s. It blends traditional instrumentation with contemporary beats and sound, song structure, and decent (although sometimes a bit twee) lyrics. It feels like it should be a guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel guilty.
I hate pop country but for some odd reason and I have no idea but I really like Kacey Musgraves, few other other female country artists too. Anyway some of this get's way too sugary like butterflies which is just awful but most of this is good.
Golden Hour is sonically perfect, and the instrumentation pays plenty of homage to historical country music without falling into cliche. It's a forward-looking record, successful in that I think. It's a straightforward project, not at the top of the modern country pack to me but certainly worthy of note.
Yeah, good. But I'm not sure it's outstanding. Maybe I'm biased against country music...
Some nice music but not being a big fan of commercial sounding country it is hard for me to judge.
6/10. Fine, I guess, the songwriting was sometimes rather charming, but idk why I had to listen to this before I died
It's a weird country pop fusion. It was enjoyable. She's no TayTay but she's at least not beck
Oye, yo pensé que esto era country, pero es pop, puro y duro. Como tal está bastante bien. No sé si pertenece a la lista, pero me agradó escucharlo.
Taylor Swift-style pop-country. Not bad, except for some of the most banal lyrics ever.
Right away with Slow Burn I experienced some pleasing and interesting melodies with nice chord choices. Singer's voice is alright, quite nice really, a very slight bit more of a country twang/trendy pop singer than I normally like, but some moments of pure clear voice are quite moving. Oh What A World, love the accompanying video. Any song about magic and magical things is for me! Rainbow is beautiful in it's simplicity, the lyrics are sweet and the melody takes unexpected turns. On first listen the rest of the album did not stand out in any particular way for me but a few songs were impressive and distinct from current musical trends. 3/5
A decent listen, I enjoy her voice, I like her and for the most part the songs are good. I'm not a fan of the Country genre, though this is more of a "hybrid-modern" country sound with electronic beats and at times a bit Shania Twain-esque. Personally, I would prefer to listen to Kacey, on her own, solo acoustic to just hear the songs without the distraction. Overall, this is above average.
I liked it. Its in a country and western tradition, and she has a wonderful voice. Listening to the whole album in one hit, it does feel same though.