Golden Hour

78/100.

In my library

4/09/2026 Just found it really boring Mayyybe worth a retry someday

A lot of country lately, and this being straight after Sheryl crow probably didn’t help. Very ok, but it didn’t interest me. 5/10

mild, pleasant, country-fied pop, with a couple of nice lines - "Grandma cried when I pierced my nose" - but a fairly ordinary listen, which ran out of steam long before the end

Pro: This might appeal to people that don't like cliche country; Observation: Because this is not cliche country; Con: But I like cliche country. It's not offensive or bad by any means, but I get the feeling I'll forget about it very quickly. It tries to emulate all kinds of different musical styles (mostly pop), put it under Country as the most appropriate genre label you can attribute to it, and run with that idea. With that it works great as a "modern country in a nutshell" kind of album, but I prefer my country written by left wing libertarians using a steel string guitar and 4 chords at most.

The opening bars of this album really got my back up and, while it improved a little, Golden Hour is ultimately 45 minutes of twee shit.

I remember quite liking this at the time but I feel like everything sounds like this now. Maybe it was influential? Still a bit too polished and bland.

Among the most effective fusions of country and pop I’ve ever heard. The melodies are strong, and the production melds warm acoustic guitars with dance beats in a way that isn’t clunky or forced. The album has this ethereal sound that gives it a refined, pseudo-spiritual air. Though the songs don’t always deserve that treatment… “Space Cowboy” sounds like this meditative reflection on love but it is honestly kind of a silly song written around a dumb play on words. Oh well, I still liked it.

Kind of reminds me of the music you'd hear in a shopping mall. Like a bargain version of Tay-Tay. Not bad, just not memorable enough to stand out.

++: Golden Hour, Rainbow +: Slow Burn, Lonely Weekend, Wonder Woman, High Horse +-: Oh, What a World, Mother, Love Is a Wild Thing, Space Cowboy, Velvet Elvis -: Butterflies, Happy & Sad 4,2/10

de mis álbumes favoritos. me hace acordar a un momento tan específico de mi vida. pensar que si no hubiera existido la pandemia la hubiera vistot en 2020.

I really like this surprisingly since I usually am turned off by country, but there was enough of a Pop edge to keep me interested. I almost blind bought this record before but decided against it when I saw country listed as a genre and I kinda regret passing up on now. If I see it in the future, it will come home with me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

She has a great voice and this is well produced, these things made this quite listenable. When it comes to rating this when the criteria is that you must hear it before you die though? Tricky. I could have died without hearing this and still have a good impression of most genres of post WW2 western music. I’ll be generous because although it’s not genre defining etc. there are albums on this list that are neither noteworthy or listenable.

This is boring as hell and I can only imagine is amusing to people whose biggest worry in life is the right shade of wall paint.

Awful, awful, AWFUL! Mostly pop drivel, but mixes in a lot of country to make it sound even worse. Not a single redeeming element here.

okayyy this one is pretty recent Let's see Lonely weekend was cute Oh, what a world was cute too!! I like her voice this is country right? MMMM a 2 or 3

This is everything I wanted and more Playlist add: “Oh, What a World” because I’m a sucker for a vocoder, “Happy & Sad” would’ve been 2nd choice

Not a bad album.

Very Taylor Swift adjacent, pop-country. I didn't find it relatable but I suspect many young women would.

5/5

01) Slow Burn - 8,0 02) Lonely Weekend - 7,0 03) Butterflies - 7,5 04) Oh, What a World - 7,5 05) Mother - 7,0 06) Love Is a Wild Thing - 7,5 07) Space Cowboy - 8,0 08) Happy & Sad - 7,5 09) Velvet Elvis - 7,5 10) Wonder Woman - 7,5 11) High Horse - 7,5 12) Golden Hour - 7,5 13) Rainbow - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,50 (75/100) Current ranking: 412/1011

Classic Kacey at her happy, dreamy best.

It was cute and listenable, but some of the lyrics where so banal and when it veered more into country I found it a lot less enjoyable.

I have to give it to Kacey Musgraves, some of her lyrics made me smile, but not because they were funny. Still, I can easily believe she was tripping while writing some of these songs.

Started out surprisingly strong, then fell to generic country for the back half. Thought this might have been a surprise 4 star for a bit.

0, -1?

The definition of country music has certainly changed. The only thing that’s “country” about this album is the lyrics, which even those could be questionable as there’s not much talk of tractors or beer (I kid and am thankful). She’s got a good voice and the music is pretty most of the time. Not earth shattering, but decent. 3/5

I think I would like this more if it went the bare/gritty route a la Gram Parsons/Lucinda Williams, instead of this really lush and shimmery sound. But I guess that's "country pop" for you, when that's never really been a genre I'm fond of. I know this is a pretty beloved slice of that genre but I don't know man, just not feeling the sound of it. It sounds like a lot of the pop slurry that I was constantly hearing throughout the 2010s; not exactly distinguishable. That being said I really like her voice and I think her lyricism feels very genuine and felt, and honestly I care about that more than poetry.

Country pop at it's finest .......

Some pretty songs here, beautifully sung. "Space Cowboy" is one of the most heart-wrenching songs I can imagine, and "Rainbow" is not far behind it. I gotta think she understands the irony of the speaker's stance in "High Horse," right?

I first heard of Kacey Musgraves in a duet with her husband on the Johnny Cash tribute album “Forever Words” from 2018 (worth checking out if you’ve not heard it). Hmm, interesting, note to self, file this away for future reference. I next encountered her early in the COVID pandemic in 2020. She was live-streaming a performance of “Rainbow” from her living room while we were all locked down, and I remember how hopeful and uplifted I felt hearing this song. I put that song on heavy repeat, and went out and bought all her stuff. I have had a soft spot for her ever since. Recorded in Nashville, ‘Golden Hour’ was much more pop than country. It became its own phenomenon, winning the Grammy for both country album and album of the year, an extremely rare feat. In relistening to the album for this exercise today, I am struck by the following: -she really likes her pentatonic scale. The vast majority of her melodies appear to be constructed off of this. Leads to some sense of repetitiveness. -lyrics are fairly simplistic/cheesy. -her regular voice is a little thin. Her falsetto is beautiful. Her pitch is beautiful. But these are mere quibbles, akin to complaining about too much sunshine. This is a good pop album. It’s probably really a three for me experience-wise, but it gets that bonus star for helping me through COVID.

I know this album like the back of my hand and it's perfection. She captured lightning in a bottle.

So peak

No private session used for Spotify. This is the confluence of contemporary country with bland pop. This stinks, I don't know how something so bland and overproduced could make it on the list.

3.5

Grammy winning album? Yeah I don't see it. For modern country standards this is perfectly passable, easy to throw on and vibe to but not much else. Nothing about this screams Kacey to me, even if it has a decent share of good melodies and catchy hooks. It's just a bit generic. I like the softness and emotional potency of Slow Burn, Mother and Love is a Wold Thing or the super sweet and catchy Butterflies, but the album doesn't do enough to remain interesting all the way through, especially with some of the sleepy songs in the 2nd half. The random disco switchup on High Horse was also kind of an awkward choice.

It’s good, almost pop but still country. Not a country fan.

Probably would be higher but it’s so overplayed for me

219/1001 🇺🇸 This is an ever popular and growing field of music, but not really my thing. I didnt dislike it but found it a bit too saccharine and overproduced. My favourite track featured a vocoder, not what i was expecting from a country record. Possibly a nod to Neil Young? Best Tracks: Oh What a World, Butterfly.

Going into Golden Hour, I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. I could easily see myself listening to it again.

Who knew country music could be good.

Album 286. Golden Hour (https://open.spotify.com/album/7f6xPqyaolTiziKf5R5Z0c?si=X63SDp55QYaeEeNOyIKIpA) — Kacey Musgraves (2018) I kinda want to hate it rn, but I'm trying not to. It's not the first Kacey Musgraves album I've heard. That's an okay modern country pop for girls with a personality crisis: who can't decide whether they're cowgirls or urban already. So, I guess it's a perfect musical match for them. Crazy and scary as shit. It has all the downsides of modern pop as a generic, personless product and this genericness also kills country soul even as it hopelessly tries at touchy songwriting and motifs. It's not driving any musical high in me. It's plainly good, plainly bland, fairly good and beautiful music with the right amount of melancholy for a broad audience, US especially. It works well, it's popular and it deserves to be in this list for diversity🌈 of shit music👍 3/5 No liked songs

i just simply adore Kacey Musgraves

So great. Sounds great, great lyrics, great sly sarcastic vibe.

A fan of this album going in. Still love it. Lush instrumentation, and I love Kacey's vocals. It's a solid no skip for me. 4.25/5.

2.4/5

pop country is good for some

Reminded me of Fleetwood Mac in places due to her vocals. Not unpleasant but not really my thing

What? Why? No!

Ver ganar a Kacey en 2019 fue top, gran álbum.

No esperaba un album girly en esta lista

I was a bit nervous to listen to this one, (I'm not really a fan of anything country) but this album surprised me. It was my first exposure to Musgraves and I think her style is interesting. I like how she blends the more country-sounding lyrics/singing with more modern beats. Overall, I found it to be a good album, but I'm not sure if I'll seek out more of her stuff.

country pop meets 90s indie rock . Pleasant and accessible.

Nothing standout. Plainly good

A previous listen to this left little impression, but there is lots to enjoy. It’s a hyper produced confection but she has a great voice and despite the lyrics being fairly simplistic the songs themselves are well crafted and there’s enough to keep you listening like the little bursts of banjo or the occasional swathes of synths

I certainly know OF Kacey Musgraves but had never listened to her. One song in and I like this. A lot of this is a little poppier than I am usually into, but this works for me.

Not gonna lie, first track I wasn’t liking this at all. I thought this had one star written all over it. Thankfully after that it grew on me pretty quickly and by the end of Oh What A World I was loving life. I did go back after and listen to Slow Burn again. Still not fussed on it. Rest of the album is a belter though.

Her singing isn't bad, but the lyrics make me want to jam pencils in my ears.

Waited patiently for it to end. Not a bad album, but music for a department store, inoffensive, but just about interesting enough to not give up on. Never really got going?

No perhana, eka olin, että jos tämä on countrya niin voiko olla, että salaa pidänkin countrysta. Tulin kuitenkin siihen tulokseen, että tämä on indie- / aikuisrock-albumi, jossa on korkeintaan vähän countryvaikutteita. Yhtä kaikki, hitaaseen lauantai-aamuun yllättävän hyvä albumi. 3/5

Ok. Pleasant and calm.

One of the rare country albums on the list, but it doesn't completely sound country. You've got the country phrasing in the lyrics, sure, but the music behind it is soft and dreamy. You get some pop vibes, a little disco, a little less twang than you'd expect from country. This is almost a stepping stone between traditional country and Taylor. It's alright, but I don't really think it's as essential as they think it is. My rating: 3/5

A lot of hate on here for this little lady’s efforts. Children, settle down. It’s not nearly as bad as you pretentious snobs suggest. Sure, it’s simple writing, both lyrically and musically. Whatever… her voice is pleasing, and far more people like it than not. So crawl back into your narrow view and let the rest of us stroll at ease.

Not for me. Objectively good, but I’ve never been a fan of modern pop country.

It’s a solid country-pop album, and has a boot firmly in both. Some of the lines are clever, but some also echo common country themes. It’s not my preferred lane, but it has great production and performances. 3.5/5.0

Wannabe taylor swift.

This is not a genre I would ever go to on my own, but….I really like this album. Much more than I ever imagined. Reminds of the great female singer-songwriters discovered at Lilith Fair or on one of those Lilith Fair compilation albums. 3-1/2 stars

Music didn't match mood. Might try another time

I thought I was gonna hate this a lot more than I did. Country mixed with 2010s pop music is my idea of hell in music form. Some of the tracks here are pretty enjoyable and she's clearly a good vocalist, but the album overall is just a bit bland and inoffensive. 5/10

Comfort album.

Проблема в том, что американцы неприменно убеждены в том, что остальному миру абсолютно интересно и увлекательно, слушать ещё один кантри альбом сделанный уже даже не важно в каком году, в 1975 или в 2018. Это ещё один critically acclaimed кантри альбом, но теперь в виду примет времени, вместо седобородых дедов, вы будете слушать Тейлор Свифт-like вокал с автотюном, скромным периодическим банджо на фоне и лирическими темами о том, как девочка плакала от проколотого носа в Техасе. ЭТО. НИКОМУ. НЕ. ИНТЕРЕСНО. 0/5.

Hadn't heard of Kacey Musgraves before, and took a couple of listens to really get into. But I enjoyed it! Especially "Butterflies". Bit soppy maybe, but that suits me just fine right now. 🥰

I'd heard the name before, but I haven't kept up much with contemporary country so this is the first Kacey Musgraves album I've listened to. This is pretty poppy for a country album with somewhat mixed results. Ultimately I found it a fairly enjoyable listen. The vocals are smooth and not *too* twangy, and it's catchy from time to time. I understand the mass appeal here. Lots of early Taylor Swift vibes. 4.0

Very good album. I believe this is one of my wife's favorite Kasey Musgraves albums.

5/10… country / pop / *2018

just an album for radio. But still better than Neil Young

Pretty enjoyable little country album. She has a very nice voice, and some decent songwriters around her. And it just about avoids being an annoying pop album for me. A good job! I liked Velvet Vices & Rainbow

I drove to work on a 500 AQI morning, with the air so full of dust that the sky was a light shade of beige. Based on the reputation I knew this album to possess, often heralded as a wondeful modern country record, I went into Golden Hour with some inaccurate expectations for what it would sound like. Rather than leaning into the songwriting and aesthetics of country, it winds up feeling more like a floaty pop album with a country twang. Trying to concieve of this album as a country album first got me pretty hung up on its sound, especially as disco production and talkbox vocals started cropping up. They were a welcome surprise to be sure, but contributed even more to me feeling like I wasn't connecting with that this album was doing. However, when I relistened to this album with the idea of it being a pop album more than anything, it started to click a lot for me. I think the songs are often at their best when Musgraves leans further into the pop and electronic elements. Her lyricism also wore me down over time; what initially felt uncharacteristically simple and near-juvenile for a genre like folk or songwriter, took on new life as a refreshingly honest and easy to understand approach to songwriting, as if we're listening to entries from a diary. I'm glad I gave this album a second listen and was able to find a better appreciation for what it is. Highlights: Slow Burn, Lonely Weekend, Butterflies, Mother, Love Is A Wild Thing, Happy & Sad, Velvet Elvis, High Horse, Rainbow

Would you call it country pop? I don’t know, but I appreciated the laid back music, even if it wasn’t really imprinting on my memory much.

A Review in the Style of KM Lyrics: I’m listening to the record the sun is shining outside But I’m feeling sad inside oooo-woooo oooo-wooo But I remember Texas But I remember my grandma There’s more to this world oooo-wooo OOOOO-WOOOOOOOOO So I turn it off, yes I do I just press stop on that old tape player by the door oooo-woooo oooo-wooo I open that door and drown myself in a cattle trough (cattle trough)

Pop country made by men: NOOOOOO Pop country made by women: Wait why is this fire (the secret is I love country music and don't like misogyny, hot take, I know) Ok, I read y'alls reviews and my joke about disliking misogyny will most likely not land with many of you, on account of how you're misogynists. 4.5/5

the exact kind of lyrical writing that i dislike

Pop a gusto

On the fine side of blah. Never thought about turning it off.

Musically fine, pleasant enough voice. A few cheap rhymes.

Middling

Another one - not the kind of music I listen to... but holy hell she has an amazing voice.

Liked this one. She’s great

Super tight album. Songwriting on here is excellent and Kacey has a great voice. Not my favourite genre but even then it's still very good.

Im sorry i didnt listen i just really dont love this kind of country music.

Almost liked it, but it was just not for me

I grew up listening to the usual country pop drivel because of my family, but I have to say this is fairly enjoyable. 4/5

One of the most pleasant country-pop albums of the modern era! Kacey imbues all of her songs with some really gorgeous production details, more akin to the stylings of Nico Paulo or Weyes Blood than any other modern country-pop I've heard, and even some songs that explore stylistic shifts, like the vaguely French house-sounding "High Horse". Another solid 7/10 from this challenge!

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would but what makes this a country album? This was just pop??

Big win for the country genre. For an album that so effectively distances itself from the stereotypical sounds and themes of country, I did find it funny that a Chevy Silverado truck *had* to get a mention nonetheless. Lovely songs all around! Standouts: Slow Burn • Love Is A Wild Thing

This album is like a popsicle on a hot summer day. The first time I heard this, shortly after it came out,, it was such a breath of fresh air and did not sound like anything else I was listening to at the time. Unfortunately I do not think it has held up over the past eight years or so, and the silly lyrics (Slow Burn is almost unlistenable to me now, and don't even get me started on rhyming umbrella with tell ya) and the processing on her voice has dropped it in my esteem. Still giving it a 4 in recognition of all those listens I gave it in the past.

I dislike this stylistically but I often with country I think, maybe it's good but just not for me? But this didn't feel like it was particularly interesting

I remember this coming out to a lot of critical acclaim and I didn't get it then or now. It's not bad, but it doesn't feel like it's that groundbreaking and I've always felt like the vocals sound heavily processed and out of the rest of the mix. 2.5

Безвкусная жёсткая жвачка. Один из худших альбомов который я послушал впринципе. После этого альбома я точно пересмотрю все поставленные единицы другим альбомам, потому что это - вещь несравненная естественно в негативном смысле. Среднестатистический вокал, как будто музыку такого плана поет одна и та же девушка, ноль эмоций либо настолько поверхностны что их сдувает. По ощущениям у этой мадам есть мощный спонсор и музыка это ее хобби, которое из-за неограниченного количества средств вышло из-под контроля. Непонятно что здесь делает этот альбом, редкостная гадость. Оценка 1/10

I listened to this and don't remember a single track. My impression is bland, inoffensive, overly processed pop with a touch of country. So it sounds like Kacey Musgraves tried to go the Taylor Swift route to getting a lot of streaming listens/sales, but it's too generic to work. 2.5

I love this album, if only because it’s the first album that my wife showed me that I really enjoyed that wasn’t something we both liked. I’m musically snobby. I am reviewing 1000 albums, rating them, and giving my opinions on them. Sharing this one with my wife is wonderful. This album is just a good time. Really smart, well written “country” that’s fun to sing along to. There’s a couple songs on here that aren’t as strong as the rest (velvet Elvis, mother) but the hits hit so hard; they’re so electric man. Slow burn, butterflies, space cowboy, Wonder Woman, rainbow, and goddamn golden hour? 10/10 hits. The other songs than the listed two above are all solid too. Great album, here’s my wife’s review: “Well I’m happy and sad at the same time..happy to get to hear a great album and sad it’s over! What a blessing to listen to the best artist of all time by random chance on this album shuffling website. I will not give you your space, cowboy, because I will continue to play this album on repeat. Now get off your high horse and give this album 5 stars!”

Well… I was actually positively surprised by track no. 1. But overall the tracks on here are just too sugar sweet for my taste

I liked a couple songs not a country fan by trade. Still good

It grew on me the further I went into the album, thought this was just another country pop artist, but I definitely found myself vibing for a couple

a bit overly sanetized production at times, and the lyrics arent the most interesting og neuanced thing in the world, too often detailing very generalized observations and experiences, but this is still a very colorful and loving pop album, even moments of melancholy is painted with either shades of joy or tranquility (happy & sad being the most explicit example) one of the few modern albums on this list that actually justifies its inclusion as a genuine modern genre classic

intergalactic country, canonical

i like kacey, think her music is good, but another album that does not need to be on the all time list of albums. it was good for what it was but it is not genre changing, music shaping but it was good

Now I like some country music and on the range between this and stadium country collabs with Jelly Roll, I’ll take this any day. But it’s not really good. The lyrics are derivative and uninteresting and her voice is lovely, but I dragged and I couldn’t wait for it to end.

Another Taylor Swift album would be more deserving of being on this list.

I was predisposed to dislike this, but it wasn’t bad.

Can't be dealing with this mushy stuff right now! Not unpleasant but ...

A two-star album if ever I heard one. A few touches of melancholia in the chord progressions, and twists in the production, but it nevertheless fell far short of wresting a third star from this old cynic. I mostly eye-rolled. Too much of it is just too nice (cheesy) and lacks any impact (Love is a Wild Thing being a case in point; I've never heard anything less wild in my life.) I'm actually shocked it won a Grammy for Album of the Year; did it anaesthetise the judges? (And on Wiki, it cites Sade and Neil Young as influences... huh? Where is their mystique?) I found myself frequently thinking of Taylor Swift, which isn't a good thing, I'm afraid. It's okay, but bored me personally (apart from Slow Burn and Oh What A World, which probably got it the second star).

I like alt-country, but this is about as milquetoast as music gets

Started out very strong for me, but towards the end felt a little samey even though I know there was variation in there

I really liked this one. It's not something I'd seek out on my own and the songs did kind of blend together, but I'm drawn to her voice and the softness of her songs.

Such a voice!

This is the best 2018 had to offer? I gave up around song 5.

Kacey Musgraves has a very simple voice as a writer. When she finds some depth of meaning with it, the results are fabulous. That said, there are some real stinkers on this album. Giving it a 3 because of this

I was cautiously optimistic after the opening track Slow Burn which I liked. However, the album just never got interesting and remained mostly background music.

boring

Boiled chicken has more flavor than this album

duhhhh

2/5 or 3/5

Twee bollocks.

Ooooh baby! This gave me goosebumps immediately! Kacey's voice is always so clear and crisp - in fact, the whole production is exactly what I want from modern country music. The definition of lush. I think this came to me at the right time, after my country music stereotypes have softened and I've even become more amenable to pop music. Fills the exact lane that Taylor Swift left wide open for someone far more talented. Favorite tracks: Slow Burn, High Horse

Sweet and mellow. Good lyrics. Really liked this.

𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘳 is a pleasant album, but not quite the country record I was expecting. While there are occasional country touches, the music leans much more heavily towards polished pop, leaving me wishing those roots had played a bigger role. What kept me listening was Kacey Musgraves herself. Her warm, expressive voice is the album’s greatest strength, bringing charm and sincerity even to songs that I found fairly average. As a pop album, 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘳 works well enough. As a country album, though, it left me wanting more. In the end, I enjoyed it, but I never felt it rose much above being a solid, if unremarkable, listen.

Spacey Kacey you make my heart racey… Everybody needs a little Kacey in their lives. My ex put me on to this album way back in 2019 and I’m happy to see it made this project. Some good music, great writing and a good range of songs. This is a four of I’ve ever heard one.

Liked, didn’t love. Nice vocal tone.

I actually found this pretty boring. It’s not bad, it’s just…well…so forgettable I’m having trouble remembering much of it to even write about. She’s got a good voice, but dropping in an occasional banjo plinking or brief slide guitar does not a country sound make. Also, injecting modern pop beats into essentially every song in the end dilutes it all. A pop album more than a country album. Not bad…just…kinda missing something.

She’s pretty and sings good. Not much not to like about this but for some reason I find Kacey kind of boring. Not really sure why. Her music is just missing that thing for me. 2.75

Easy breezy listening experience. Also that time she played SNL fully nude behind her guitar was pretty neat. 3.75/5

Did not like this album

She's got a lovely voice and there is some lush production to bring out the best in it. But I don't think this is remotely something everyone needs to hear, it's total fluff and having started in earnest, it just falls into mediocre department shop radio territory.

Man, this is great. Good writing, production, the whole 9.

If I heard a song here or there it would be fine but a whole album was too much

Whole album is amazing, stuck between a 4 and 5. Great music, solid pop album with a lot of influenaces

Great voice. Boring and predictable lyrics. Boring music.

What a trivial pop album—so generic and forgettable. I've heard similar, uninteresting songs a thousand times. Now I could associate it with a name. But I'd rather just forget that one right away, too. 2/5

easy listening with a country vibe. Many follow this path

além de ser um country mais pop e não me ofender como um puro country, country com vocal feminino é bem mais agradável.

Not this album making me cry at work on a Tuesday morning

Chatooooo

Kacey Musgraves' brand of country pop with indie tendencies is exactly what I needed today. Great songwriting, fantastic vocals, and a general joy to listen to

It’s still more boring country. Meh

She has a lovely voice, but the music and lyrics feel basic. One note pop just doesn’t do it for me.

They're not "bad" songs, just very tepid. Every song feels formulaic, and while it may resonate with some, it does nothing for me. Now back to something more exciting, like watching my oatmeal cool...

#1 choice for background music in a professional office setting or mall restaurant.

This was the record that began my slow transformation into an out and proud country fan, so I will always have that appreciation for it. Upon revisiting, it's a little too pop-heavy for my taste and I had a bit of trouble getting through it. Feels like a boardroom of music executives trying to write Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball." The standout for me is the blend of country and disco on "High Horse," which has been on my playlists since the record came out. There are some other solid hooks throughout as well. Nothing bad here, just too safe and predictable for my liking.

I'm not a country fan but Kacey Musgraves makes me wish I was. She has a stunning voice, heart-wrenching songs, and is an exceptional lyricist. If all country singers were this good, I would not have any trouble getting into the genre.

The trouble with all these new country albums, for me at least, is that there is nothing to mark one apart from the other. They melt into one another, as indistinguishable as a teaspoon of lukewarm water in an ocean of blandness. I listened to a few tracks to make sure I was right... I was.

i bought this the day it came out

Pleasant middle of the road stuff. Nothing to write home about.

Absolute banger. One of my personal favorites. Some incredible song writing.

I hate country music, so if I have to listen to country, I'm glad it's Kacey Musgraves because I don't hate her. Her voice is different than other country singers, and I actually like a few of her songs. I knew and liked the song Rainbow. I also liked Golden Hour and Lonely Weekend. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was pretty poppy.

I think it's an alright album if not for me Will I listen to again: 20%

Starting to think there’s only 200 albums I must here and 800 filler

Listened to this on a camping trip out in the Olympics. It made it a bit more interesting, but on second listen driving home there are a lot of boring duds on this album. Slow Burn and Rainbow are good bookends. 2.3/5 -> 2/5

The tracks sound very similar, but the vibe of the record is very pleasant and comforting. I will probably listen to it again while working or reading. Favorite tracks : Slow Burn, Butterflies

I was on vacation so I have a giant backlog of albums to get through. This is my second country album in 3 days, and if this keeps up I'm going to be caught up a lot quicker than expected.

Not a fan of country but nothing to hate here. She has a good voice and the music is not offensive or super twangy. A lot of the songs do sound the same though.

Not quite as country as I was fearing. Just the most inoffensive, blandest, marketable American pop music targeted for teenage girls one could possibly imagine. But, you know what, the songs really weren't all THAT bad. And for a 2018 album, this somehow made me feel very nostalgic about all the early-00s pop music of this kind that I had to listen to because my family didn't have a computer nor internet yet back then and I had to watch every possible music programme on the telly in hopes of seeing and hearing something decent. So it a surprisingly nice experience in the end. Odd, but nice. I'd want to give it three stars, but let's be honest, all that nonsense above aside, this album is pretty shite and has no reason to be on this list. I can't possibly give it more than two actual stars, but I'll give it a spiritual third star for that lovely little experience I described.

Beautiful country, folksy, bliss.

good pop, enjoyed, just cannot really relate to this

Mixture of country and songwriter pop. Nice singing voice.

This is a pleasant surprise. I lived through the Bro Country era and wondered if we'd see good modern country. Somehow this album completely passed me by, probably cuz I was jaded. But this is excellent. A few songs are unconventionally country but it's got some great music ideas and beautiful lyrics and singing. Give it a listen.

Wonderful album. Creative, funny, touching writing and catchy hooks throughout.

Top quality pop music. Good and often clever songwriting that isn't too larded with Nashville cliches. There's really only a few occasional touches that signal that this is a Nashville Country Music approved-for-country-radio album: an occasional and barely noticeable pedal steel and, more often, banjo, which typically has a very modern wash of reverb over it that makes it seem distant in both space and time (like a nostalgic simulation of silent film). So, I'd much much rather hear this than anything else I can think of on country radio (except Chris Stapleton and...?), but it still feels like a product that is unlikely to be interesting in 30 years. I could almost go four stars on this, because --really-- top notch production and performance, but it's just hitting all the marks and not doing anything really "you gotta hear this" level, so: 3/5.

Lekker rustig op werk

Pop Country is still Country Music at the end of the day(and as my history suggests, I'm definitely no fan of 2010s music either). This was long, drawn-out Corporate Country that was a complete drag to get through. At least Kacey Musgraves loathes the orange tyrant, and I won't pull a reverse "separate the art from the artist", so the album was a big miss for me. Favorite Track: "High Horse".

Very pop, very sweet. Not bad, not interesting either.

It's a pretty good album overall. It's definitely more of a modern country album. It has some good songs on there, but it's not my favorite. Pretty good.

Never listened much to Kacey Musgraves. I’m glad I fixed that now. It’s a really beautiful album. It’s all so well composed and wonderfully performed. My only complaint is that the subject matter is too focused on romantic things. It does occasionally go into other topics and when it does it’s excellent. Not that the romance songs are bad by any stretch. Rainbows is gorgeous.

Not for me.

Slightly more bearable than Swift.

I like the voice despite it being twangy. The pop country feel felt different and it was pretty entertaining album. Velvet Elvis has me laughing

Great country pop record

It's an easy listen. But easy doesn't always mean good, right? Musgraves' voice is smooth and sweet, but the songs themselves are about as memorable as a dream you can't quite grasp in the morning. There's a slight country twang here, a pop sheen there, but it all blends into this beige musical mural that just kinda... exists? Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Butterflies - Rainbow

Super

A very cute listen. I enjoyed this the entire way through.

I hated pretty much everything about this. 1/10

I really like this album I think that it was pretty nice. Pretty listen to emotional songs. The only song that I didn't like is mother I think it's very slow and over emotional in my opinion, but from that it's a great album I actually like her a lot.

It’s a meh for me

A young lady with an exceptionally good voice which pulled on all the emotions. The tracks felt as though she meant what she was singing and so all the meaning was there for me to feel those real emotions even the tracks that were about mundane things. I do hope she wrote the lyrics herself- it felt like she had! Not something I would rush to listen to again but enjoyable in the moment. Best track- ‘wonder woman’ or maybe ‘rainbow’ Worst track- ‘golden hour’ 7.5/10

Kacey Musgraves An artist I knew of, but never heard much by. The heartfelt opening Slow Burn promised much but we were soon into a sanitised version of C&W where it felt tracks had been pulled from supermarket aisle like one selects a weeks ready meals. A pop one, then a rock one, then one with a dance beat, one with a cool synth sound, one with a 'clever' pun in the lyric and so on. I'm sure Kacey was here somewhere but I couldn't hear her. Each song feeling like the safe, low calorie 'lite' option. An album full of omelettes made with only the whites. There's more genuine emotion and authentic country in a Hannah Montana album Best Track - Slow Burn Worst Track - Space Boy 4/10

Favorite Track: Rainbow Least Favorite Track: Velvet Elvis

Great album. Obviously, high horse and slow burn are highlights, but the whole album is full of consistently good tracks.

Way too new to be on this list. Even if it was fantastic (which it’s not, it’s fine).

Not really my thing, undecided on what genre of music this classifies as - but not much here-

The ultimate shopping-at-Winn-Dixie-ten-minutes-before-closing-on-a-muggy-Tuesday-night-and-this-is-playing-full-blast album 1.5/5.0: Bad

i think i would like this more if she leaned into the country aspects a little more

Not something I would listen to in rotation, but I’m glad it’s on the list. I like the diversity of having some more modern albums rather than constant 80s British pop.

☀️

Some beautiful lyrics on this one

Note to revisit next time I’m driving down a highway alone at dusk. ✅✅ Space Cowboy ✅✅ Wonder Woman ✅✅ High Horse

A golden record. I loved this album since the first listen what feels like wayyyy back when on a roadtrip from northern California to Temecula. Quiet, contemplative, and a little fun. Singing and songwriting at its best with a perfect combination of contemplate rebellion, country twang, and cowboys you can barely wrangle.

Angelic, sweet, poppy. I love her and Slow Burn is an all-timer.

🌬️🍃

Álbum bem legal de ouvir. Pop country bem feito e divertido. QoA Cloudscape.

Ben ik in de H&M beland? Dit is een prima album hoor, Kacey heeft een goede stem en de productie is zo veilig als het maar kan, maar is dit echt een album dat je moet horen voor je doodgaat? Is dit niet meer iets voor 1001 albums die je in de gemiddelde H&M hoort? Of Abercrombie ofzo. Tsja, het is gewoon een prima album, je hoort wel meteen dat het recenter is uitgekomen dan een hoop op deze lijst. De productie is gewoon een stuk cleaner, zeker op nummers als High Horse wat bijna een dance beatje lijkt te hebben. Het is wel heel heel heel veel van het zelfde, kan ook aan het genre Country liggen, en dan specifiek het pop country wat dit is. Kacey zingt prima, lyrics zijn mwah, nogal zoetsappig als je het mij vraagt maar dat is soms ook goed te pruimen. In totaal? Ach, ik heb me niet zitten irriteren, Kacey kan prima zingen. Maar ik vind het gewoon nogal enthousiast om dit als een essentieel album te zien, het komt op mij nogal over als een 13 in een dozijn country pop album. Maar goed, misschien ben ik wel een beetje een zeikerd in deze. FAVO: High Horse

No. 210 Although this isn't the type of music I usually listen to, I really liked this artist's sound.

Demasiado empalagoso, me gusta la voz y cómo juegan con los sonidos, hay tal vez dos canciones rescatables las demás me parecieron demasiado

I approached this one with fairly modest expectations. Grammy-winning country-pop about falling in love? Fine. We'll give it forty-five minutes, nod politely and move on. The cover art, the title, the general cultural reputation of the album all seemed to point in the same direction: tasteful, well-crafted songs about romance, delivered with enough charm to keep everyone happy and enough polish to win awards. Pleasant. Competent. Possibly even very good. Just not necessarily something that would linger in the mind once the final track faded out. Except that's not quite what's going on here. Underneath the immaculate production, the vocoders, the sunsets and the butterflies, Kacey Musgraves has made a surprisingly thoughtful album about timing, impermanence and the awkward fact that happiness doesn't actually solve anything. It just gives you something worth worrying about. The record begins with a brief disclaimer that she is, in fact, a bit of a handful, before settling into a state of wonder. Not old-school psychedelic "I have seen the secrets of the universe" wonder, but something much more modern. Call it Instagram psychedelia. Trees are amazing. The sky is amazing. Love is amazing. Existing at all is faintly ridiculous. Somewhere along the way, somebody appears to have dropped acid and come back with the conclusion that they should probably phone their mother. The remarkable thing is how lightly it's all worn. *Mother* lasts barely more than a minute and contains more emotional truth than many artists manage in an entire album. "I miss my mum who misses her mum." That's the song. That's enough. The point has been made. Elsewhere, Musgraves keeps taking familiar country images and quietly retooling them. *Space Cowboy* isn't Steve Miller. It's "space, cowboy." *Love Is a Wild Thing* argues that love can't be owned. *Happy & Sad* observes that the moment you realise you're happy, you start worrying about losing it. Even the title track ultimately lands on the wonderfully unromantic observation that somebody "caught me at the right time." That idea runs through the whole record. The time has to be right. Darryl Pandy knew the score. So did Jarvis Cocker. So, apparently, does Kacey Musgraves. What surprised me most was discovering an arc. The album starts looking up at the stars and ends worrying about ordinary human limitations. The concerns become steadily more grounded. Wonder gives way to attachment. Attachment gives way to impermanence. The light slowly moves across the room. And then, just when things threaten to become too thoughtful, she throws in *High Horse*, which turns out to be country disco. Or, if you prefer, *I Will Survive, Yee-Haw*. There are not many records that can move from generational grief to a mirror-ball-assisted instruction for somebody to stop being a pain in the arse. I can't pretend this will become a foundational album for me. It's not *Parklife* or *Revolver or **The Lexicon of Love*. But I enjoyed spending time in its company far more than I expected. Musgraves turns out to be funny, observant and quietly subversive. The songs are full of country clichés, artfully deployed and slyly repurposed. The production glows. The ideas; well, they sneak up on you. Most impressively, the album survives close inspection. You can happily let it soundtrack a coffee shop. Equally, you can spend a morning poring over it like a Graham Greene novel and discover that it's been thinking about time all along. Maybe more contemporary country artists should drop a tab now and again.

It was ok. Didn't really catch me.

It was a cute pop / country album of the current days. Really liked the opening song.

Generic girly-voice guitar/piano teenage lovesongs

Couldn't finish it, really not my kind of music

A little on the poppy side for me but the simplicity and saccharine sweetness with a touch of clever works

Album sounded really nice. Never really listened to Kacey before.

I knew rainbow, which is a great song, so I had high hopes for the rest of the album but it felt pretty unmemorable overall. Rainbow is still great though.

When you make music in a genre widely known for its recent reputation of sounding like same-y dogshit… you should PROBABLY try to address that and experiment to break out of that sound. This album played it too safe and not enough was done to remedy that issue. A few good moments but ultimately not a fun listen.

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour (2018) This one has its highs and lows. The songwriting didn't quite hit the mark for me because the lyrics felt a bit too cheesy at times, lines like "Grandma cried when I pierced my nose" are just a little too corny. BUT it definitely has some elements I genuinely enjoyed. "Lonely Weekend," "Butterflies," and "Love Is a Wild Thing" were real standouts that worked well. It balances out to a 3/5.

Not really sure why this record is on the list. It’s pretty forgettable. 6/10

Canta muy bien esta chica y el disco me entró gostoso

Country-pop muy bien grabado, pero inofensivo

Two things struck me about this. First, Kacey is clever. Space Cowboy is a case in point. She can sing and she uses it to good effect, the tone painting she does with “high horse” is another case in point. So, she’s not a dumb girl. But… her persona is so very, very girly. She’s the kind of artist that my Taylor Swift obsessed teenage nephew would favor. She’s the kind of artist that makes me start to fantasize about things like: what if Slim Shady were her “Space Cowboy”? Since I recently rated the Marshall Mathers LP, I couldn’t help but imagine the response to Slim being told he could have his “space, cowboy.” I am sorry, but I think I would find his response more interesting than I found this album. 3 Boolean: yes, I suppose it was good to hear once.

A little cringey at times but moments that are more pure pop are stronger

I was expecting to really dislike this but it isn't bad. It's definitely just country tinged pop music and isn't really remarkable, I think, but it's pleasant listening. Decidedly average.

Budget Walmart version of Gillian Welch or Emylou Harris with a Madonna pop twist. Not great

Not a country guy but I am a Kacey Musgraves guy

Liked it.

This is country? I usually can't stand the country albums, but this was actually pretty easy to listen to. I think it leans more into pop than country for a lot of it.

Komt voor mij over als totaal shallow en performatief ‘kijk mij coole cowgirl chick zijn’

Beautiful soundscape. I like Same Trailer Different Park better but there's no bad time to listen to KM's voice.

Delightful!

Wait until you see how poorly I viewed Taylor Swift, let alone the Walmart version of her... just no.

a nice little album here. enjoyed most of this. the only acceptable type of “stomp clap hey” country pop from this era in retrospect

Pretty voice, in an unfortunate genre. Sorry folks, this does not alter my lack of appreciation for country music.

4/5

This is the definition of basic. Force anyone to make an entire album at gunpoint and most people could manage at least this. The lyrics are hilariously bad, I would have preferred some moon/spoon/june lines over this cringe-fest. It's over-produced to within an inch of its life, and auto-tuned the rest of the way. Soulless, emotionless, inspirationless, and how the fuck did it get on this list?

I'm sure I know someone who would love this but its definitely not me. While the first couple of songs could have a had a soul/folk atmosphere that I could enjoy, the rest of it was just low cost Taylor Swift. Not unpleasant to the hears though.

Pretty awful lyrics and listening felt cloying. I could listen again but really don't want to. 1.5.

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Kind of light and the vocals were really good!

Strong album even if it’s not my taste in music

It’s ok. I really don’t like the whole Nashville Country Pop schtick, but I like her voice and there was some kinda fun production things that popped up here or there. Didn’t hate listening to it, but have no need to ever listen to it again.

Honestly liked this one a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a pretty decent country album with a nice voice and a small hint of modern production. Not awesome, but pretty good for country.

Easy listening. Good album. Well produced. But I don't find this particularly interesting or original (I guess that was not the aim either). Overall, between 2 and 3 stars. "Space Cowboy", "Oh, what a world" or "Velvet Elvis" caught my attention. I think this is actually more pop than country. At times, it reminded me of Taylor Swift (but in the less interesting songs by Swift, which are still ok by the way).

It's stuff like this that makes people think that they don't like country music.

The tone of her voice and the laid back vibe just hits my sweet spot

Not a huge fan of this

Boring, saccharin sweet, middle of the road pop with a hint of country.

It's like a lesser known Tailor Swift album but without the poppy songs

Oh this was lovely - nothing groundbreaking, but some cute songs, nice voice... will probably come back to it.

Faux country album from Ms Musgraves

bland

어우 진짜 듣기 좋네 2018년도 앨범이 오른 이유가 있다

This was fantastic for the mood.

It's an okay album. It doesn't really change tonally throughout and her voice is very soft on most songs. This is like a lo-fi country pop album. Nothing on here would really make me want to re-listen. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Sufjan Stevens men i stedet for nice Sufjan-vokal så er det den mest 2000-pop vokalen tenkelig... Nei takk! Rent musikalsk er det ofte ganske alright. Til tider langt innenfor sonen som markerer bra. På sitt beste høres det nesten ut som Phoebe Bridgers. Men alle de gode kvalitetene imploderer under vekten av banale pop-arrangementer og en vokalprestasjon som bringer tilbake alt som var galt med lydbildet på 2000-tallet.

Litt fint, mest kjedelig

This is just straight up good music. If this came on the radio you certainly wouldn't be hearing any complaints from me.

Very nice and cohesive. Good songwriting and great vocals. Admittedly I didn't find super compelling, but I'm not always the biggest fan of country music. Although, as a big Taylor Swift fan, this isn't much of a leap from early Taylor Swift (at times they can sound really similar), so maybe with a few more listens I would be more into Golden Hour. I can hear there is substance in this album. Favourite songs on first listen: "Slow Burn", "Happy & Sad", "Velvet Elvis" 3/5

Pleasant enough. The first song is the most memorable by far- cosmic, evocative. Like something Dave Fridmann might have produced.

Nice easy listening country

Almost aggressively pleasant, nice voice and some good country/pop songs

Aight

I really liked the final song, but the rest of the album was kind of generic sounding to me.

This is a pleasant enough album of gentle ballads with lyrics focused on new love, break ups and philosophical reflections on life as a millennial. Very standard approach to the female singer songwriter genre of recent times. Hadn't heard of Kacey Musgraves and suspect she deserves to be better known by people who like this genre. It's inoffensive and not without talent but I've heard too much of this kind of music in recent years and it's not distinctive enough to stand out really.

Musically, this was actually quite solid. At times, I thought it was teetering on being just another ethereal, dreamlike country-pop album. But, I do think there’s a genuinely impressive mix of genres here that helps it stand out and makes it at least worth hearing on that front. Where the album really falls apart is its lyrics. One prime example is the track, Happy & Sad, with the line, “Is there a word for the way that I’m feeling tonight?”. That pretty much sums up the issue plaguing this album. The lyrics are unbelievably dreadful, genuinely suggesting she has a tenuous grasp of the English language. But hey, if her career as a songwriter doesn’t work out, she could always get herself a job as an editor at The Sun.

slow burn is elite sunny day album

This was a Slow Burn over a Lonely Weekend.

This is everything wrong with modern music. I want to set this on fire. 1/5

not my type of music, but really wasn't bad. Like a better Taylor Swift country pop 2.5/5

I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this. A very pleasant sound and the electronic elements add texture and prevent it from feeling too run of the mill.

Oh cool. ... My least favorite music. This is musical Soylent Green. Cannibalized, highly manufactured, dry slop to feed the masses. 'Modern Country' is a scourge, and is light Christian nationalist propaganda at its worst. Apologies to Ms. Musgraves who doesn't seem to be as bad as her contemporaries, but she's still a soft product of this cynical, corporate machine. The arrangements are so predictable and her voice is almost autotunned out of existence, it's no wonder that recently AI was able to generate a popular country music song and very few people were able to tell the difference... This album suffers from all of that and it's hard to peel back the plastic layers of formulaic 'country sounds' to even attempt to approach her lyrics -- which seem to be the highlight. I didn't approach this with open eyes -- I won't give the Nashville 'machine' that sort of quarter -- but true to the exercise I did get through it and nothing pulled my opinion out of (1/5). Still my least favorite music.

Only vaguely familiar with Kacey Musgraves, and find it interesting that she really lays off any of the "country" indicators on the album jacket. Hitting play it seems she laid off of a lot of the country indicators on the inside, too, taking a page out of the Taylor Swift playbook with a turn more to pop than country, while still lending Allison Krause-esque vocal stylings and the occasional obligatory banjo or mandolin in the distance. In the middle there's some decent (if a bit trite) lyrics and poetry, a few catchy rhythms, and a variety of sounds and styles to keep it interesting. Underlying all of that, though, is a feeling of overproduction and polish that makes it feel less like art and more like... A product. She's a gorgeous girl with a gorgeous voice that probably didn't need the autotune, and a little bit of raw feeling could have gone a long way. Tally all the pros and cons and it hits a ceiling of 3/5 for me that might be higher on a repeat listen.

Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 2 = 2.4 rounded down to 2 "Turn 'em on, turn 'em on/ Turn on those sad songs/ When all hope is gone (Ah)/ Why don't you tune in and turn them on?" I think this might be the most recent release we've seen yet? I'm not a giant country fan, especially modern country. I'm more into old school stuff, or stuff that nods towards the old school. Give me Johnny, Merle, Dolly, and Waylon and I'm a happy boy. I'll even take some Hank or Loretta if I'm feeling in a mood. Around the mid 80s is where my love generally peters out and we get into that period of time where Dwight Yoakam and George Straight can't quite hold back the flood walls and pop country comes bursting in. Clint, Trish, and yes Garth are all there on the other side, ready to invade, and they will be merciless. By the end of the decade I struggle to think of anyone left that has that old sound. I have since been recommended various artists by people whose taste I trust, and I have liked some of it. The old sound is not completely dead, and in fact seems to be coming back around. Maybe this will be an example. Kacy Musgraves is a name I know, but if I've heard any of her music it was completely by accident, perghaps while dining at that fine American institution of the Texas Roadhouse. Let's see if any of this rings a bell. THE TRACKS "Slow Burn" - Other than the occasional inflection in her voice and the obligatory banjo, I'm not hearing much here that screams "COUNTRY" at me. I hear 70s singer songwriters, folk, dream pop, 90s post grunge electronic pop, and maybe a few more things all wrapped up in a 2010s more or less perfect production style. This was surprisingly good. "Lonely Weekend" - Musgraves is still giving me more Taylor Swift vibes than any country ones. Maybe she's following that playbook as didn't Swift transition from country to pop? This was a light and breezy with a summery feel to it. "Butterflies" - This one I've either heard before or it sounds VERY much like another song I'm familiar with, but I just cannot place it. Tip of my tongue. Maybe that speaks to the craft here. It's obviously very lo-fi pop leaning, which I am very much not the target of, but when the piano drops in and she hits those plaintive notes in the very catchy chorus, I can't help but be impressed. "Oh, What a World" - Another pretty little sad pop number. This one felt more slight lyrics wise than any of the ones before, with it's very generic "you are so awesome" love song spirations. But it's buried under a lot of solid instrumental energy. "Mother" - We finally get to the bittersweet piano ballad section. Sappy treacle like most of this stuff is, and yet I can't really call it because it was probably exactly the sort of wannabe tearjerker track that is standard on most albums like this. "Love Is a Wild Thing" - This one felt pretty generic except for her vocals, but they couldn't really save it. And feels like the banjo is just there so it can technically get onto the country charts. "Space Cowboy"- Yikes, three in a row. Not familiar enough with her music to make this judgement for sure, but this feels the most pandering to that country artist of any on here yet. Sad girl is sad about sad cowboy. Horse metaphors. Trucks. Clever song title though. "Happy & Sad" - This was pretty by the numbers downer pop. The beat kills this for me despite some interesting moments. It's almost aggressively middle of the road to borrow a phrase from a recent review I read. "Velvet Elvis" - Pure electro pop. This one feels like Miley Cyrus forgot to take her SSRIs. I'm not immune to solid hooks, no matter where they can be found. More of this empty audio cotton candy please. "Wonder Woman" - Another aggressively mid entry. No edge, and no steps outside the boundary of whatever the mainstream appeal target is. Though I have to wonder how much of that thing is a concern here, given how downbeat so much of it is. Instrumentally this seems very late-80s Jeff Lynne-inspired. "High Horse" - Disco is back, baby! Easily the biggest headnodder on here, and entirely worthy if inclusion in the highlights. "Golden Hour" - This is exactly the sort of "you are so great" thing that almost always fails to gain traction with me, but the execution here is on point. There's a sort of languid sort of beachy feel to the music that balances out the tired sentiment. "Rainbow" - Sad piano girl is hopeful and encouraging now. But in a sad way. Uplifting and deep I think is the goal here, but it's a bit too generic for me. Seems like the Eagles "Desperado" is the blueprint for this one. HIGHLIGHTS - "Slow Burn" - "Lonely Weekend" - "Butterflies" - "Velvet Elvis" - "High Horse" MIDLIGHTS - "Oh, What a World" - "Happy & Sad" - "Wonder Woman" - "Golden Hour" LOWLIGHTS - "Mother" - "Love Is a Wild Thing" - "Space Cowboy" - "Rainbow" FINAL THOUGHTS I think one of Musgraves's biggest strengths on this album was her actual songwriting. I paid closer attention to the lyrics here than on most albums, and there's a lot of really smart stuff going on. The themes are all pretty universal in that the protagonists feel specific without being generic ( for the most part). I can see this having pretty massive crossover appeal. Her voice stays just within bounds as well, never straying to far into the showiness of adding extra syllables or dropping into that bizarre baby voice accent that so many female singers seem to be chasing. This was not at all what I expected for about half. And the other hald was exactly what I expected. Lowered expectations aside, I do think this was a definite step up from similar stuff I've heard pieces of. There's a lot more depth and craft going on here than I see in a lot of Musgraves's contemporaries. ultimately though she dips too far into that mainstream sound that feels very samey to me, and after the initial explosive salvo she stumbles too much on the next 2/3. I much prefer the poppier, electronic and dancey numbers than the ballads though. Ultimately not something I had much hope for, but I'm definitely more open to listening to other stuff by Musgraves in the future. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Highlights only please FURTHER LISTENING - Reputation by Taylor Swift - The Weight of These Wings by Miranda Lambert - Gaslighter by The Chicks

Let me honest upfront, I'm a sucker for pleasant voiced lady with a guitar in her hand. Kacey Musgraves has a beautiful voice. I recall enjoying a few tracks off her 2013 album, Same Trailer Different Park, but don’t know much about this one. Country music has been off my radar mostly for nearly three decades now. Also, country music radio doesn’t play female artists, haven’t you heard? Seriously, it’s criminal what happened to female country artists on country radio. "Slow Burn" and "Lonely Weekend" set the pace early on, this one is going to stretch out, be a mellow mood. We’re in for a quiet tender day here. Later tracks "Golden Hour" and "Rainbow" will confirm this. Remind them of what you told them is a longstanding writing rule, I guess. "High Horse" was an interesting turn and maybe the lone standout from the gentle tunes surrounding it. "Happy & Sad" - "Velvet Elvis" - "Wonder Woman" was the weakest stretch of the album. I enjoyed most of the rest in a gentle way. This album was aggressively nonabrasive and non-offensive. Sometimes that is what you need, I guess. I was wanting to hear more of the progressiveness that permeated her debut album- seriously, "Merry Go Round" is an outstanding track- however it was not trying to be that. Oh well. I was surprised to read "Golden Hour" won Album of the Year for 2018. What I heard was an artist transitioning out of country and into pop. Like Shania Twain and Taylor Swift before her, here was a female country artist moving to a pop sound out of some survival instinct. One story I read mentioned that female country artists received less than 10% of radio play in 2024. Nashville has a problem. I can see it though. This was a pleasant 45 minutes. 3.5 that I'll round up to a 4 because like I said, I'm a sucker. Track Highlights Slow Burn Lonely Weekend Love is A Wild Thing Space Cowboy

I had.high hopes for this after track one but my god it is bland. There is just no personality on display. Maybe I’m just not getting it but I don’t hear any evidence of the disco, yacht rock or Kylie that’s mentioned in reviews. Her voice has no character, it’s all been autotuned out. Not feeling this one at all

She has an awesome voice

Nice background music. Not impressed

Unremarkable

Very good album had me listening to women country singers all day. It gets an extra bump up for vibes and how cool I seemed with my daughter.

Conventional, unoriginal, and generic. I do not know why this album could be on this list other than paid advertising. Will not revisit.

fav songs: lonely weekend butterflies polished, mellow, repetitive 50/100

Actually pretty good. I didn’t think I was going to like it since I don’t really like country

Happy little album, if you like that sort of thing, but not powerful enough for me tbh

3.0

This is a very pleasant album. I have the impression some people really love it and see it as an all-timer. I think that's a bit much - it does what it does well, but doesn't really do anything particularly special/transcendent. It reminds me of the good parts of early Taylor Swift, without much corniness. Fave Tracks: Slow Burn, Velvet Elvis, High Horse 3.9/5

I feel like I need to give this one another listen sometime. It has some interesting stuff going on, but most of it just sounds like typical contemporary country.

Just fun

There's good contemporary country music out there. This ain't it, chief. 🧀🧀

Inoffensive, bland and highly forgettable country”ish” music. Nothing fantastic here.

Ya know the background music sounds fine but the atrocious lyrics and country fried vibes are fucking everything up Okay maybe not EVERYTHING

Pretty average album. None of the songs are that bad, but not that great. Standout songs: Lonely Weekend Space Cowboy

Not bad. It's kind of normal pop music with a country vibe under it

Objektivt inte dåligt men subjektivt verkligen inte min grej

Mysigt och över förväntan!

Väldigt otippat album på den här listan, men kan inte tänka mig att modern countrypop kan låta bättre än såhär. Riktigt välgjort!

Fint men inget märkvärdigt.

2/10 She has a good voice, but country/pop is not my cup of tea.

not my type of music didn't even listen :(

No skips

A generational album

Si pudiera le pondría un 0

I didn’t know this artist, and when I first listened to the album, it sounded a bit monotonous. But the more I listened, the more I actually enjoyed it. Three stars... :-)

I can see why everyone loves this. It's a perfect canvas. Scenic and romantic. Really beautiful.

4.35

Generic pop music. Could have been a prompt.