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.
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
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
This doesn't feel particularly special. Got to the second song and felt like the album was dragging on.
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.
Is this serious? This is definitely NOT an album you must hear. It is one you must simply destroy before It brain damages you.
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.
I had no clue that this singer existed. This album made me silly-happy. Guess I found a new thing.
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.
I love this album. Psychedelic pop country is a genre I didn't know I wanted or needed when I first heard Butterflies.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Overall, I liked this album more than I thought I would. That being said, I don't love it. It's a bit too saccharine for me. It didn't keep my attention all the way through, and quite a few of the tracks sound like the kind of songs one hears on 'American Idol'-type contest shows. On the plus side, some of the songs are very nicely written and performed. She's definitely a talented songwriter, musician, and singer. I have a feeling if she add a little more realness/rawness to her songs (I heard hints of it in some of these tracks), I'd be drawn in more. PS -- I'm also glad to see an album made just a few years ago make this list.
Lovely voice, pleasing music and some insightful, albeit obvious, lyrics (never really going anywhere, caught up in a web I was getting kind of use to staying there; to stop all this thinking, just keep on drinking) but also some cheesy ones (Texas is hot, I can be cold, Grandma cried when I pierced my nose). Not my cup of tea, too melancholy, a lot of fluff and light pop. At first, I thought if I was ever in that type of mood or feeling (not sure specifically what mood/feeling; positivity, optimistic [oh, what a world], heartache, gloomy, empathetic [Mother]) I’d enjoy the album, but the more I listened to it, just seemed like a lot of B side songs and I’d never be in a mood to listen to it. Looks like Slow Burn, Space Cowboy and the closing title Rainbow are liked the most on the album and I was hoping to find a diamond in the rough, but I was exhausted listening to the album by the end. Again, good voice and while I don’t have a problem of someone sounding like themselves; it’s who there are and if they have a specific ‘sound’ that people seem to like, go with it. But I was really bored with it, just dull and repetitive sound to me. I’m starting to think (hope?) that these 1001 albums are those you might not have necessarily listen to as a norm, partly since I haven’t been too exposed to the 14 I’ve seen so far. Because yeah, this album wouldn’t be on my list of top 10,001 albums, let alone 1,001 that you should listen to before you die.
She has a good voice, but everything from the album is quite forgettable and overproduced.
When she started to sing I immediately got turned off by her voice. I really dislike this genre of commercial music that sounds like its being sung by a 14 yr old girl. I suppose the great majority of listeners like it and it sells tons, but its not for me. Its good to see some newer albums on this list but I cannot fathom why this particular album made it.
Kul med något modernt! Hypead countrypop. Är skeptiskt inställd till country, och därmed skeptiskt inställd till Kacey Musgraves. Finns många fina låtar, och allt är väldigt välproducerat. Men inte mer än så, det blir aldrig riktigt spännande. Det hade behövts mer smuts för att göra albumet mer intressant. "Love is a Wild Thing", "Oh, What a World", "Mother", och "High Horse" är bra! "Love Is A Wild Thing" har en fin melodi i refrängen. I High Horse hörs inte lika mycket country, utan är istället mer fräsch discopop. BRA! Bästa låt: High Horse.
Taas melko tuore levy sisällöltään tusinaa. Sit oli vielä vahingossa shuffle pällä, nii en jaksanu kuunnella loppuun. Ei nyt skeidaa kuitenkaan
Mmmmkay. Vuoden 2018 levy ja tällä materiaalilla listoilla? WTF. Tällainen levy on tehty vähintään kerran kuukaudessa viimeisen 20v aikana...
Not my sort of music but it sort of held my attention so must be good. Sounded like the Sundays at certain points. Nothing grated here.
This is just a bit dull. Saccharine country female voice, nothing that I can put my finger on as being particularly wrong (other than the lyrics getting quite kitschy every now and then), but nothing that's particularly stand out good either. This feels like the sort of thing that Taylor Swift has been doing for 15 years, but it doesn't have the oomph or the sass. 2/5, marginally better than yesterday.
Inoffensive Taylor Swift tribute act but nothing new. Happy & Sad the best of the lot.
I'd heard good things so I was expecting something a bit more than middling fun country pop
After suffering through the PJ Harvey album, this has been a soothing listen. Very backgroundy though. Nothing stands out, inoffensive stuff.
Helt för uppstädat i mixen, tappar jättemycket slagkraft då musiken bara är slät och lättsmält. Många av låtarna är ändå bra.
All a bit 'meh'. Standout tracks - Love is a Wild Thing & Golden Hour Probably wouldn't listen to this again but nothing too bad either
I remember hearing this one after it came out and liking it quite a bit. Not sure if I am just not in the mood for it now or am if I am just into other things.
Like the first track I think this album is a "Slowburn" it is all a bit samey for my eclectic taste.
As someone who doesn't generally dig mainstream country music, the general lack of it on the 1001 has been appreciated. However, as someone who doesn't generally dig mainstream country music, I was very interested to listen to Kacey Musgraves' "Golden Hour" in the hope that her reputation for defying genre norms and boundaries was well-earned. And I guess that reputation is somewhat well-earned. But not in a way that made me enjoy the album. "Golden Hour" features some pretty typical country songs, some indie singer-songwriter-ish songs with a bit of a country twang, and some pop songs with a country twang. Some of the indie ballads were fine, but not good enough to overshadow the pop and country songs, which did nothing for me. It's like trying to contain all of Taylor Swift's career phases within one album, and while I'm not a Swift fan her songs are still generally catchier and stick with you more. Overall, this was a pretty forgettable album.
“A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.” Ugh.
Hadn't heard of her, so didn't know it was more fucking country shit. At first I was hopeful. Her voice is ok, and it all seemed pleasant enough. Turned it off after 3 or 4 songs. just fed up of it.
this was very 2000s singer-songwriter, but with meh lyrics and boring instrumentals. very disappointing