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.
Now 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.
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
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 for me. Cheesy lyrics, bland.
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
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.
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.
Well, fuck…if more country music sounded like this I might not hate it so much. As the record goes on, however, a thought occurs: “Huh, it took 18 years for early 2000’s indie rock to permeate popular country music. Ain’t that something.”
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.
It was ok, didnt grab me
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.
loveee
Really nice album. Sort of folky / country vibe with beautiful vocals
Never thought I’d like a country album but here we are it’s great
Excellent!
Phenomenal album will listen again
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.
YESSSSSSSS
My wife plays this all the time. It will always remind me of her
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
Coups de coeur : Golden Hour Lonely weekend
It's good
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)
キュートでポップで癒される、そして切なさを必ずと言っていいほど包含する彼女のストーリーに引き込まれた。
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.
great!
🥰🥰🥰 Kacey is my girl
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.
This album marks the end of a trilogy of great albums from Ms. Musgraves. I think she's a great songwriter and performer. This one frequently veers into pop, which is usually not something I want from my country musicians, but she pulls it off spectacularly. There are so many ear worms on here. I think it's a bit early to give it a 5 as it hasn't really had a chance to take the test of time, but I really do think it's a contemporary classic. It's just a shame she went full pop on the next album and realized a super disappointing pile of crap. I'm hoping she has another album like this in her before she calls it a day.
Love Kacey, the simple storytelling songwriting, her vocals are awesome, and her wordplay is super fun to listen to. I have this album on vinyl and listen to it frequently.
Sublime adult contemporary pop that transcends the country-pop label. Hazy days of summer kinda mood.
Yay. One of my all time faves. This was on my list to listen to soon, and now I will. I don't even like country, but I love this.
Such a good album. Her pop breakout. Velvet Elvis, Space Cowboy, Rainbow are the totl.
Just lovely.
This seems like an easy 5. There are so many songs that are engaging.... though Rainbow and Butterflies are nearly perfect, most of the rest of the album shows strength with both melody and lyrical content. Very easy to appreciate.
A really nice album. I wonder if kids born today will listen to this in 40 years and think it's still as good then. Lonely Weekend is really nice.
Modern classic, no notes.
Fantastic album
Poppy alt-rock with ample country influence and I also caught some funk and disco stuff. Gorgeous voice, some excellent turns of phrase. I enjoyed this more than expected!
I listened to this on my HomePod today and it’s in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music. The quality of it made me regret I started buying vinyl records. Truly reference level shit.
Charming
Great voice and imagery in this album. Simple instruments all workcso well together.
I was incredibly excited to see this as my album for today. My parents went through a country phase in the nineties. Much to my disappointment, the classic rock and eighties music that they used to listen to didn't get anymore time on the stereo system in our living room, and they were replaced by Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Trisha Yearwood. I hated it. Thankfully, I have an appreciation for those artists now, but at the time that my parents listened to them, I hated it. Post 9/11, most country music has been filled with faux patriotism, but thankfully this album is a stark contrast to that. Filled with vulnerable lyrics, excellent instrumentation, and experimentation with other genres, Kacey Musgraves shows that country music can still showcase all the things I like about older country music: emotional vulnerability, empowerment of women, and the complicated feelings of love. Every song on this album is distinct in sound and in tone, and it's one of those rare albums that I love to listen to all the way through. From the disco-infused "High Horse" to the witty word play of "Space Cowboy," Kacey Musgraves shows that she can do it all. Songs like "Wonder Woman," manage to show a certain vulnerability that I think female country artists abandoned for a time, when those thoughts of introspection were replaced with ballads of keying the cars of unfaithful lovers. While she may not be Wonder Woman, this album shows that Kacey Musgraves can do a lot, and she can do it really well.
één van mijn favoriete country albums. Slowburn Happy & sad Golden Hour Maar vooral, Rainbow. Hoe mooi is die
What a gem
i'm not a fan of country music but this album is very good, i really liked it (sorry for my english) 9/10
Touching, and charming. Soothing!
One of my favourites of recent years.
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.
Soft pop, nice mood for coding
Ну ладно, не всё кантри скукотень.
**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
Never heard of her before this, rather enjoyed it.
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
Honestly, I was kind of a fan. Did not expect that.
Modern folk tinged pop, 90’s production. Pretty good!
I didn’t know much going in but really enjoyed thia
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.
so lovely
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.
first listen the flavour of country music that i enjoy perfectly
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.