Golden Hour

Inoffensive. She’s got a great voice and the songs are well written and produced. It’s just not my thing.

It's that kind of album...great production values and a talent with an amazing voice...but just not my thing. I can listen to it but it doesn't speak to me.

It was nice but I’ll probably never listen to it again

Ekki minn stíll en þétt, eitt og eitt ágætt lag, mjög kántríað.

Much better than I expected. Not too country

Listened to this album a fair bit, I think this is a good album but slightly overrated Fave tracks:Slow burn, Butterflies,Lonely Weekend, High Horse, Golden Hour, Rainbow 4/5

So bland. Cheesy, naive and/or innocuous. Maybe you can salvage the first track somehow, but everything else is too dumb, musically or lyrically speaking. The one with all the clichéed metaphors about Kacey's unreliable love interest being like a horse got me laughing out loud, I admit. The thing is, I'm pretty sure that was not her intent to be comical here. Duh. 🙄I'm not wasting any more time on this review, I've already wasted to much of it trying to listen to this artist. Musgraves is criminally overrated by prominent music websites these days, but she's not the only one... Don't *fully* trust Dimery's list after 2010, by the way: half of it is filled with albums made by such overrated artists. Which is a crime given the insane amount of great music that's been recorded in the last ten years or so... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far  Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter (including this one)

Too poppy, too country (not in a nice way) for me. Doesn't feel particularly special or that I needed to listen to this before I die.. Most songs sounded exactly the same. And since this is something I don't enjoy listening to it was mildly excruciating. Saved songs that were slightly better imo? Butterflies, Velvet Elvis

And the bells were ringing out with piss poor singer songwriter pop

What the fuck, Santa? Not what I asked for

Fuck you the List, what a way to ruin Christmas you fucking grinch.

Giving me early Taylor Swift vibes

great to hear the whole album (I played on repeat her earlier album, same trailer diff park - so good)

Ikke stor country fan akkurat, men var helt ok Høydepunkt: Oh, What a World Happy & Sad

Taylor Swift pero en malo

Oh, awesome, modern pop country, my ffffaaaavvoooorrriiittteee. I'd first like to say I'm under the belief lyrics, while important to a song, are usually a backseat compared to the instrumentation, otherwise it would just be poetry. That being said, the lyrics in this are awful. When they're not cheesy they're just bad. "In Tennessee, the sun's goin' down, but in Bejing, they're headin' out to work", what the fuck does that mean? What does that have to do with this love song? Yeah, timezones exist, good job Kacey. It doesn't even rhyme within the song, which I would excuse as an artistic choice, except the very next two lines rhyme with each other, so obviously it wasn't that. There's other examples all throughout the album, but when your first song has a lyric that makes me burst out laughing, you probably don't have the keen-est sense of writing, and there's probably a reason most pop singers don't write their own music anymore. Another thing is the actual choice of genre itself. It's pop country with light sprinklings of more electronic-esque genres, but that isn't used in any interesting capacity, they just usually are either a light backing track that aren't notable enough to talk about, or start the song, hoping one of these songs will actually sound different, before switching back to pop country about five seconds later. This pop country is also aggravating. It's the worst of country, never really committing to the genre, which is fine by me because modern country is pretty awful in my mind, but I agree this is more pop music than anything. Bad pop music, that is, because none of this has the goal of pop music, which is to be catchy, and I don't remember these songs two seconds after they end. How do you make a song called "Space Cowboy" boring? Or "Velvet Elvis"? There's just really nothing here I enjoy whatsoever, and the amount of modern pop albums I could understand being on here compared to this makes this even worse. Is it as bad as a male lead vocal modern country song? No, it isn't about trucks and beer, it can attempt something more interesting, it just doesn't stick the landing whatsoever.

I would say that the songs in the album as average and no songs really stand out. Not really recommend for 2nd round of listening since i could not even finish in 1st round

Not for me

Solid mellow vibes. Probably my favorite “country” music after T swift

favorite tracks - slow burn, high horse, golden hour least favorite tracks - mother, space cowboy this one didn't really connect with me. liked some of the melodies, but some of the slower tracks seemed to drag

Love Kacey, the simple storytelling songwriting, her vocals are awesome, and her wordplay is super fun to listen to. I have this album on vinyl and listen to it frequently.

This album marks the end of a trilogy of great albums from Ms. Musgraves. I think she's a great songwriter and performer. This one frequently veers into pop, which is usually not something I want from my country musicians, but she pulls it off spectacularly. There are so many ear worms on here. I think it's a bit early to give it a 5 as it hasn't really had a chance to take the test of time, but I really do think it's a contemporary classic. It's just a shame she went full pop on the next album and realized a super disappointing pile of crap. I'm hoping she has another album like this in her before she calls it a day.

I am not really much of a country music fan - in fact I am not a fan at all. But I like this album. It has a singer-songwriter feel and the production seems more Americana than modern country, at least my perception of modern country. And the songs are uniformly strong and well written. I like it and I will continue to listen - another one to add to my current playlist. 3.5 stars

I don't like country, but I also think that's an unfair tag for Kacey. She's really invented a unique mashup of country, pop, and folk that I really like. Slow Burn and Rainbow are two standouts and maybe make for one of the best first/last track combos I can think of. Beautiful voice, smart song writing, simple melodies. I dig it.

I love this album. It slaps every time!

Cheesey lyrics. Couldn't finish.

A solid offering of modern country pop. Listenable if not memorable.

great voice and songwriter, but not a fan of the style

Zoet maar ook niet te zoet. Ik kan dit zeker wel waarderen.

Na 3 dagen weet ik gewoon niet meer wat ik vond van dit plaatje. Dat zegt genoeg.

Mooie stem, maar wel erg zoetzappig

Even een korte bloemlezing uit het poëziealbum van Kacey Musgraves, waar ze rijkelijk uit putte toen ze teksten nodig had voor haar 'echte liedjes'-album: Texas is hot, I can be cold Grandma cried when I pierced my nose. In Tennessee, the sun's goin' down But in Beijing, they're headin' out to work --> het concept tijdzones heeft ze onder de knie👌 I got a million things to do, but I haven't done a single one, no And if my sister lived in town, I know that we'd be doin' somethin' fun Something fun? Zoals goede liedjes met goede teksten schrijven?

Oei, dit was even doorbijten. Hoe zoetsappig!

I thought it was going to be Alison Krauss / Robert Plant from the first song but then it took a more commercial turn. Pleasant and accomplished but soon became background music. It's what I'd put on if I had dinner party guests from Tennessee (unlikely).

I don't generally like country music. I don't generally like pop music. I don't generally like this.

This one defied all expectations set by the opening couple of tracks (much better on second listen), and proved to be a gorgeous album. As it progressed, it opened up into something more melodic, more vibrant, more interesting. Country base, with lots of toppings, adding up to a really solid set of pop songs. Lovely.

Feels generic, cheesy lyrics, nothing memorable about this album

Vocal agradável, um country pop bem executado.

Nice voice. Too country.

Bland modern country pop with terrible teenage diary lyrics. GIve me old dirty outlaw country over this saccarhine shit anytime. Probably great if you're 13 years old and fancy Cletus. Best Tracks: Slow Burn; Butterflies; Velvet Elvis

6/10

Nice change

Best Song: Oh, What A World. Love the use of the vocoder. It gives the song this ethereal, progressive feeling that is missing from the rest of the album. A song for breakfast with people you really like. Worst Song: Butterflies. Completely forgettable bubblegum pop. Overall: Mostly quietly pleasant coffee shop music, with a few standouts (e.g., High Horse) that stretch genres a bit. Strangely, this feels like the type of music that is just okay to listen to on recording, but if heard live would make you want to follow her to the ends of the Earth.

Ha! No. Somewhat pleasant but forgettable low three.

This is the kind of music you get jammed down your throat because you told Spotify that you liked one Taylor Swift song. Just a lot of nothing.

I really like Lacey Musgrave's attitude when I hear her speak, the subject matter is bang on for me, but the music is always just a bit too straight and traddy for me to love it. Beautiful voice too. Do I have no soul?

I'm a huge swiftie so I'm familiar with Musgraves, but I'd never actually had a reason to listen to her. I know people have tried to make up beef between these two (which I don't get) but I understand why. This album is very early Taylor before she went much more pop / indie. And I love it. I'm a sucker for stuff. Great country with pop infusion. Need to dig into her discography more.

Listened Before? Y Country music is terrified of this woman. She's deeply intelligent and in-touch. She bares her soul on her records and doesn't do what any Nashville executive tells her to do. The result: pure gold and a giant middle finger. I own this album in two formats, and I listen to it all the time. This is another step in her evolution, and a step further from traditional country sound. This one is a winner. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Butterflies

En tant que pophead automnal je suis conquis (✿◕‿◕)

petit Kacey Musgraves après Kollaps pour brouiller les pistes

Radio friendly pop/country. Was technically fine, but I'm not planning to listen again.

Not super into country, but I like her sound

so it’s like Taylor Swift but even MORE country? not that great, pretty boring imo feeling a strong 3/10 from this album but I’ll round it up to a 4/10 simply because this isn’t Taylor Swift

This is ok. Some catchy tunes, but dress it up any way you like, you’re still listening to a country pop artist.

Pleasant - especially the first few songs, but then it seemed to fade away a bit

One of my favorite new country albums. A classic already.

Honestly not the fan. I think her voice sounded immature. It literally reminded me of kids bop which I do realize is an exaggeration however I also felt like her lyrics were childish???? You can tell she has potential and her sounds are good though.

I've never been a fan of country outside of the occasional one-off or a few outlaw country albums but I really really like this. The simplicity and clarity of the arrangements, Kacey's almost childlike enunciation and voice seems weirdly authentic and refreshing. Many of the tracks here have more elements than merely country - e.g. vocoder on "Oh, What a World" ?? love it. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I feel like this is like old-school country with modern production, yet avoiding the way-too-common over-produced pitfalls of modern music that make it all so bland and disposable - there's no overlayering or walls of guitars and/or voices; there's just that innocent-sounding clarity to each of these songs that I have no idea why I connect with it ... but maybe I already gave the reasons. 8/10 4 stars.

Sigrid vibe. Very poppy and boring, but I like that. High Horse is great! 3 Rainbow is pretty good too

Call emergency, the curator of this list seems to have slipped on banana peel, which caused them to pick an album that really doesn't belong here! [Then again, this is such a frequent occurrence, I wouldn't bother the emergency services]

Other than a few moments here and there, I wouldn't have figured this for country music. This was a nice listen. Hints of Allison Kraus and Mindy Smith (not that I'm hugely familiar with them).

Scroll back through my reviews and you will see that I really try hard to say something positive about albums, even if they aren't for me. But this album actually made me angry listening to it. Country and pop are two genres where you have to be an exceptional talent to pull them off, and more often than not that is achieved by Adding some kind of twist, or flair or just by being an incredible songwriter. This has none of those redeeming qualities. 45 minutes of meaningless drivel. Low point: Oh, what a world, for a song that I guess is meant to be abut how good life can be why it uses the most plain, devoid of emotion vocoder loop that I've ever heard. Kacey, go listen to some Bon Iver and see how its done properly.

That was relaxing and very enjoyable.

Good but overall not an album I'f find myself listening to much. I know this was huge when it came out. I'm just not a country fan. The entire sits on one "zone" for me.

Dull and country.

🥰🥰🥰 Kacey is my girl

Something about this didn’t work for me. It’s like the album is trying to hard to be light and carefree.

Solid album. Really liked some of the songs despite my dislike of country

Not a single bad track. Some a little more forgettable than others, but not a single bad one. Excellent album.

Kacey musgraves - golden hour (2018) Notes - Country with pop & psychedelic elements - I went through a huuuuuge Kacey musgraves phase in 2020 - There’s something about this album…. The production? The mixing? - It’s the little touches of synth, slide guitar, percussion, atmosphere that makes this album stand out - Kacey isn’t doing anything revolutionary but it still feels great - She sings very delicately for the majority of the album which helps to establish an ethereal atmosphere Fav - Happy & sad - something about the chorus on this song gets me every time Least fav - Wonder Woman - i like the concept of the song but i feel like the instrumental doesnt do it justice 4/5, 2 years ago i wouldve said 5/5

Pretty easy listen, she has a strong voice. A twangy pop album and nothing annoyed me, probably won’t go back to it but I got nothing against it. Favourite song was probably High Horse, giddy’up! 3 Stars

Pretty good album. Not original country but she has a pretty voice.

Please no more country tinged pop. Slightly more interesting than Aimee Mann but still very very bland

Perverse to include in this list.

I don't have much of an affinity for Country music and this album didn't change that.

No

A quick spot of research shows this to be country pop. Completely out of the realms of music I’d choose to listen to, but let’s keep an open mind and discover something new. Songs I already knew: none Favourites after listening: Space Cowboy, Velvet Elvis Perhaps it’s just that my ears aren’t acclimatised to the nuances of country music, but I’m not sure why this warrants being on a list of albums I must hear. I think I don’t really understand country pop in general. I can totally understand how somebody like Merle Haggard is country, but this is just generic pop music sang in a Texan accent. Sonically, it sounded fine. There was nothing wrong with it at all, it was just generic pop music that (to me) gets diluted within all the rest that sounds the same.

Good. Chill. Was.

I liked it. Its in a country and western tradition, and she has a wonderful voice. Listening to the whole album in one hit, it does feel same though.

Bit too sad for me.

I was originally feeling a 3/5 on this album the whole way through, as there were a couple solid songs with mostly average filler, but my favorite track on this album, high horse (sucker for dream-pop here), made me round it up to a 4/5. 7/10

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Lonely weekend, Love is a wild thing, Wonder woman, High horse

Not for me, mostly boring. I liked the song "High Horse," because it was one of the only tracks with any energy behind it.

ok. fairly generic country po. not really my bag.

A decent listen, I enjoy her voice, I like her and for the most part the songs are good. I'm not a fan of the Country genre, though this is more of a "hybrid-modern" country sound with electronic beats and at times a bit Shania Twain-esque. Personally, I would prefer to listen to Kacey, on her own, solo acoustic to just hear the songs without the distraction. Overall, this is above average.

Right away with Slow Burn I experienced some pleasing and interesting melodies with nice chord choices. Singer's voice is alright, quite nice really, a very slight bit more of a country twang/trendy pop singer than I normally like, but some moments of pure clear voice are quite moving. Oh What A World, love the accompanying video. Any song about magic and magical things is for me! Rainbow is beautiful in it's simplicity, the lyrics are sweet and the melody takes unexpected turns. On first listen the rest of the album did not stand out in any particular way for me but a few songs were impressive and distinct from current musical trends. 3/5

😐

great!

Muy bonito, muy country pero para mí aburrido y más o menos plano. Me quedo con la canción que da título al album "Golden Hour" y poco más.

"Golden Hour" is the fourth studio album from Kacey Musgraves. She co-wrote and co-produced with Daniel Tadhian and Ian Fitchuk. The music is classified as country pop with elements of disco, electropop, electronica and yacht rock. Yeah, without knowing anything, I would just classify this as pop. This is a nice sounding and very well-produced album. Kacey said she wrote a lot of love songs, which she hadn't too much before, as she just was coming off getting married and was in her golden hour. Never bashful about publicly stating she does drugs, she said she wrote a few songs under the influence of acid. Good for her. This album was a huge success being nominated for and winning four Grammy's including album of the year. This album is filled with hits. It starts with "Slow Burn" and its guitar-driven and "poppy" sound. Great lyrics..."Born in a hurry, always late." Nice lyrical use of contrasts. Another nice sounding song is the second single "Butterflies." Good production with its keyboards and piano. She uses a vocoder in "Oh, What a World." Another enjoyable, optimistic song. Guitar. Banjo. The album second half continues her run of singles. "Space Cowboy" might be its most country-sounding song. Slide guitar. Dreamy...yeah, this is one of the ones she wrote tripping. Give her man some space. "High Horse" incorporates more of a dance beat and chunky bass line. This reminds me more of a late 70's song. She even sounds nice telling her man to hit the road. The album ends with her final single "Rainbow." A beautiful ballad. Rain and rainbow imagery. An uplifting song about not giving up... There's always a rainbow above your head. I saw Kacey at Lollapalooza the following year and she was very good. This is a great album with a lot of top-notch pop songs. I don't if she'll ever reach these heights again but she doesn't have to; she has this.

A solid country record with some modern (and retro) twists. The influences range from Dusty Springfield to what sounds like Daft Punk? Pretty nuts and caught me totally by surprise. Favorite tracks: "Slow Burn", "Butterflies", "Space Cowboy", "High Horse"

No thanks. It’s one of those specialty cocktails that’s all syrup and grenadine and you can’t even taste the tequila. You doubt they even put tequila in it because it’s so sugary. But they charged you like it was given a proper 1.5oz from the top shelf. Pop country only appeals to the lowest common denominator of people. I can’t imagine what there is in this album content wise that merits our attention. Again I have to harken back to Weezer. Why the fuck is the Blue Album NOT on the list but this is?!?! I’m rating this a one, admittedly maybe too harshly, but I’m just so stymied by some of the list maker choices.

Meh

Taylor Swift-style pop-country. Not bad, except for some of the most banal lyrics ever.

Listened a couple times in 2018/2019. good opportunity to revisit.

Oye, yo pensé que esto era country, pero es pop, puro y duro. Como tal está bastante bien. No sé si pertenece a la lista, pero me agradó escucharlo.

musica de mujer blanca

Esta bueno para ser un album country pop 7/10

Que interesante que este disco venga en esta lista/libro de 1001 discos que debes escuchar antes de morir, uno de los mejores albumes del 2018 y una de las pocas veces que los grammys han estado en lo correcto. En lo personal no es mi disco favorito de ese año pero definitivamente es un disco que me gusta mucho y considero de lo mejor de ese año. 9/10

ps a ver ta bien no?

I’d listen again. Incredible opening track. I get the buzz.

Not in my edition of the book! 2018. 5 stars The millennium lovechild of The Dixie Chicks, Joni Mitchell and Lana Del Rey. Great songs, lovely voice, classy warm production and excellent musicianship. On the repeat play list.

Boring country pop with lazy lyrics.

キュートでポップで癒される、そして切なさを必ずと言っていいほど包含する彼女のストーリーに引き込まれた。

Without a doubt, this was a personal 5; one forced oneself to listen after reading all the plaudits and awards, despite being ready to loathe it, was taken aback by a thoroughgoing (even deep) enjoyment, which has largely lasted on subsequent listening across multiple years. But it might fall just short in pure critical terms. “Slow Burn” is a great opener, and “Lonely Weekend” nearly matches it. “Happy and Sad” is terrific, real pathos hiding in the easy beats and the title track is as good a love song as one has heard in years – really it should close the record. Perhaps one has to be a writerly type (as one is) or exceedingly editorial-minded (ditto) to appreciate the full and profound significance of the comma in “Space, Cowboy.” There is a precision-engineered, high-end feel to these songs, as if this is the absolute best and most advanced pop-country-music industrial complex can produce. The songs are almost clinically good (winningly so in “Oh What a World” and “Wonder Woman,” less effectively with “Velvet Elvis” and “High Horse” both of which one can do without because they seem jokey toss-offs, what with the cutesy production flourishes.) And yet one was deeply moved by the title cut upon first listening and still love it, can be touched even, when one slows down to listen to it. [Weird that this record is not listed in one’s book, nor on the 1001.net site, even under the exes.] 4.5 / 5 (rounding up for personal meaning)

So much more than country, Golden Hour combines electronic, folk and pop influences. It provides the perfect backdrop for Musgraves’ exploration of loss, love and maturation.

Fun enough pop record, but ultimately not really my jam.

This was nice. It was country/pop music. It was definitely mainstream but Kacey has a nice voice and the music was a little Faith Hill/Shania Twain/Taylor Swift - y.

The sounds are quite pleasant but nothing at all sticks out as being particularly interesting.

It's a weird country pop fusion. It was enjoyable. She's no TayTay but she's at least not beck

+ Slow Burn (4 STARS) - Simple lyrics but good sound + Lonely Weekend (4 STARS) + Butterflies (4 STARS) + Oh, What a World (3 STARS) - too disney + Mother (3 STARS) + Love is a Wild Thing (4 STARS) + Space Cowboy (3 STARS) + Happy & Sad (4 STARS) + Velvet Elvis (4 STARS) + Wonder Woman (4 STARS) + High Horse (4 STARS) - simple lyrics but so dancey + Golden Hour (4 STARS) + Rainbow (5 STARS) OVERALL (4 STARS): Very simple, but sweet and catchy

Generic country girl. Lyrics are just as generic and designed by the country version of Benny Blanco probably. You can insert any female "country" artist and it will sound the exact same. Need my Daisy Dukes, straw hat, cowgirl boots, and some whiteclaws. Hell ya bruther.

There was a huge amount of discourse around this LP when it dropped, especially concerning how Musgraves was 'reimagining' country. To that end, the album does start out strong - even if the songwriting is a tad stream-of-consciousness, the melodic ideas are fresh for the genre and the production is air-tight. As the album progresses, however, this clean execution starts to sound more like the same sterile, bitter taste of any other modern pop-country artist. Somewhere around 'Space Cowboy' the melodies curdle into the same plasticine Max Martin progressions we've heard 1000 times before, and the LP gives up completely on sounding like anything other than pop-country radio filler.

Country isn't my favorite, but this was pretty relaxing and good vibes.

Ok if you like white girl folk/pop music. I could see myself listening to again.

This couldn't be a more generic, cookie-cutter album if it tried; pull any random stranger off the street and give them 24 hours to make an album, guaranteed it'll turn out 100% better than this. Terrible voice that's auto-tuned out the wazoo make this unenjoyable at best, it's completely uninteresting musically so it's really just pointless noise that you can't wait to turn off. I'm sure someone enjoys this but really I just feel sorry for them.

very catchy! i really loved this album, it made me feel happy. a lot of these reviews are low, so i didn’t really expect to love it, I. WAS. WRONG.

6/10. Fine, I guess, the songwriting was sometimes rather charming, but idk why I had to listen to this before I died

👩‍🔬🧬🔬Kacey Musgraves constructing the most mid album. 6/10

Good singing voice. Good bop.

Most of the songs were very similar to each other.

Ok

很乡村的一张专辑了，整体上很熟悉了，很温暖很舒适。这张专辑我室友倒是很喜欢，挺适合人静静地听下去，作为现代乡村音乐是挺成功的一张专辑，但是作为必听的一张我觉得未免还是有些过誉了。

Aimless musical meandering with only somewhat noteworthy production.

I struggled with this. Nothing offensive, but mainly a bit bland.

Some nice music but not being a big fan of commercial sounding country it is hard for me to judge.

Very nice surprise. Nora Jones via Katie Melua. Great singer and some beautiful songs to meditate to.

Yeah, good. But I'm not sure it's outstanding. Maybe I'm biased against country music...

Automatic five stars since I own this album and have listened to it many times. I adore this album. This is the ninth album I’ve already heard (just released I had miscounted earlier, ugh). I was a little late to this album as I only discovered Kacey Musgraves in late 2018. Someone had added “Oh, What a World” onto a shared playlist I was on, and it was love at first listen. I’ve been a big fan of ever since.

Good!

Golden Hour is sonically perfect, and the instrumentation pays plenty of homage to historical country music without falling into cliche. It's a forward-looking record, successful in that I think. It's a straightforward project, not at the top of the modern country pack to me but certainly worthy of note.

Listened to on 8/17/22 5/5 Favorite song: space cowboy, happy + sad, butterflies, slow burn I love this album - Kacey is such a talented artist and her songwriting skills are amazing. I listened to this album all day long and only wound up liking it more and more

Very pleasant and soothing. Would listen again. Favorite was probably Oh What a World.

I hate pop country but for some odd reason and I have no idea but I really like Kacey Musgraves, few other other female country artists too. Anyway some of this get's way too sugary like butterflies which is just awful but most of this is good.

A friend turned me into this album last winter. I find it to be a nice bridge of country and pop, but not of the cookie cutter, saccharine, variety centered around ‘merica, pickups, and ex’s. It blends traditional instrumentation with contemporary beats and sound, song structure, and decent (although sometimes a bit twee) lyrics. It feels like it should be a guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel guilty.

Some of the songs that were more folk were ok. The whole record seemed safe, overproduced, and boring.

This album surprised me. I thought I was going to hate it. I didn’t. Not bad

Buena voz. Sensación de haber escuchado varios discos del mismo estilo. En ocasiones pop y bailable. Desconocida. Parece prometedora.

I discovered this treat of an album last year, and adore the songs Mother, and Rainbow. Such obvious and simple sentiments, but perfectly married to song. What an artist.

Well that was very pretty. Nothing outstanding but made me feel warm inside

Beautiful. Goes a bit too 'poppy' for me over the last few tracks, but the initial two thirds of this album is wonderful. Absolutely loved it - straight onto my playlist.

Too much time rolling around in the satin sheet production, not enough time on the writing. When they aren't outright clunkers, they're pap. And when when they're not pap, the drippy aesthetic makes them sound like it.

Just not to my taste, nothing materially wrong with it however.

ikkje for meg

Solid pop country. Some of the songs got really overplayed on the radio

Was good! She has a good voice and the melodies are nice.

pop gurl

Not my type of music, but is OK

I've never listened to Kacey Musgraves before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album.

I like her voice more than her songs, not real into pop country but her voice is so pleasant.

Not my favorite Kacey album, but still a good one. So many good songs.

Excellent

Even though I'm a modern pop apologist, this album is still very mediocre. It's a very clean album but probably to a fault. Highlights: Butterflies, Happy and Sad, Rainbow. 2.5

Nope

Something about this album rolls off the tongue so well. I fell in love with “slow burn” awhile ago and was happy to see this album was on the list as I knew I’d like it. It met all my expectations and then some. Will definitely listen again in the future.

Not bad but just not my taste. But still better than Lorde

This is a terrific album. She's fairly mainstream at this point, but I do like that she breaks with the Team 'Murica country set. Not quite Outlaw Country which is most to my liking, but trending that way and I like it. Great voice. Great lyrics. Just about every song on this one is solid straight through.

hehehehehehehehehe have listened to this since 2018. STILL MAKES ME HAPPY and sad at the same time :'((

One of the best modern country artists out there right now. Her list of artists that inspired her is a list that I loved to read from, John Prine (Rest in Peace!) to Alison Krauss (gotta respect somebody from my hometown who went to high school with my dad) to Jim Croce (my favorite songwriter) and even people like, Cake, Weezer, and ELO (the last of those you can hear on the song "Oh, What A World"). I'm leaving some notable country artists off of there but, the point is she has great taste in music. I also love a country artist that is willing to openly support progressive social movements, helps me not feel guilty about enjoying country music. As for this album "Slow Burn" is a wonderful song that is enjoyable to listen to and to find out she was on acid while writing it makes me like her even more. "Butterflies" was intriguing song with a lot to pick apart and some nice bass fills. The middle of the album is peaceful but mostly forgettable. I also quite enjoy the upbeat yet chill energy of "High Horse", it maybe sits a little late in the album for me but I like the song. "Golden Hour" was calm with an interesting guitar line. "Rainbow" is the perfect peaceful, but powerful way to end an album. All in all I enjoyed this album more than I expected to. I was expecting a 3 going in but by the end I felt it was a 4 for me. The calm energy that tows the line of country and folk is a musical spot that I love, though her voice gets a little twangy at points for my liking.

Not bad, I actually really like country music in small doses. And at least it’s not about trucks

Surprisingly nice, cool vibes

Nice voice. Pretty vanilla country pop stuff.

I quite like alt-country. Jessie Sykes for example is a songwriter of endless depth. This leans towards a poppier end of the spectrum however.... and is the country music equivalent of a Mcdonalds Big Mac meal. Tasty, but you're quickly left wanting something more substantial after the initial buzz has worn off. Like her voice though.

A weird combination of very safe country music with a nice dreamy (almost psychedelic) quality. Overall it's nice, but too pleasant to be interesting. Also some of the lyrics are laughably lame: "Texas is hot, I can be cold, Grandma cried when I pierced my nose". Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Oh, What a World Date listened: 13/07/22

What a great album, I was pleasantly surprised seeing as I’m not a big country fan at all.

Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to. 3 🌟

Hadn't listened to this album despite being a fan of her first release. Really enjoyed it. 4.5/5

pretty good, but all the songs kinda sound alike

Enjoyed this. Modern country, some fun twists and turns in instrumentation. And the girl can write some vicious lyrics.

Ehhhh. I will say the vocals and production in particular are better than it needed to be for a generic country pop album. I remember when it came out, and many people that year were very polarized about it. I remember mostly hearing good things, I thought it was pretty forgettable. I listened to it a few days ago and I can't recall a single thing from it. Not terrible, just not exactly sure why there was so much praise for this. It was definitely too pop-y and gummy in a lot of parts for my own taste. 2.5/5

Some cool songwriting and slightly experimental stuff but I’m not one for country or teenage girl music

A little too sappy and saccharine for my taste but I can understand the appeal. If I don’t think too hard about the corny lyrics I could see myself tapping my foot and nodding serenely along.

ikkje min sjanger

Kjedelig

Heel mooi gezongen en heel leuke melodieuze nummers. Heerlijk album als je van rustige popmuziek met een klein country-sfeertje houdt. ****

Disney movie credits music. But not like Lion King. I'm talking like Wreck it Ralph 7: The Ralphening, which has 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. "A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco" Basically the antithesis of my music taste.

Not bad - a little saccharine

Not as terrible as some country albums.

A masterpiece of pop country. Kaceys voice is on a whole nother level here. The albums closer is stunning and brilliant. Top to bottom there’s no skips to be had. Absolutely incredible album. Listen to this one!

Country pop combines two genres of music that I find most devastatingly annoying. This wasn't as bad as I thought, so maybe two wrongs can partially redeem each other. Still pretty bad though.

Not a big fan of popular country music, but this was pleasant enough. 3 stars.

It's good

Un album pop qui est hien produit et quinsomne bien, . De petites nuances d ecountry au travers. 3.80

Didn’t listen to all but I think I could connect.

3.5/5. Pretty good for a newer country album.

Perfectly lovely album and lovely person. But songs are all very similar, so it felt like it dragged on a bit.

I've never felt so indifferent about an album. I didn't think or feel anything about it. Its just a boring 'ok'.

Pish in my ears. Should been called ‘Golden Shower’

She has a nice voice but the lyrics are brutal. And it all sounds exactly the same.

Coffee shop background music. Bland, though pleasant and inoffensive despite the terrible lyrics. Why it's on this list is a complete mystery though

The very definition of meh

Nice songs, nice singing & nice production. ‘Rainbow’ is a 5⭐️ banger

2.5

I love a number of songs on this album. Rainbow is one of the best album closers, while others like High Horse and Butterflies are beautifully written and performed.

Like most things in life, the Law of Diminishing Returns tends to show itself eventually, but on some quicker than others. There is no exception here, a very strong first track garners interest, but all subsequent ones seem to play it safe in some kind of holding pattern. Granted, this is not to presume that anything written here would solve such an experience but a solid start quickly devolves into boredom to where maybe thirteen tracks would have done better with nine or ten. The album is a good album, but it starts out with indications of being great. At the time of this review, Kacey Musgraves is a bona fide star in both pop and country, so along comes expectation that this 2018 album would explain her rise. It does, and perhaps since this 1001 project is more a curation of how things age, the inclusion of this album is not heavily contested but it is not without some questioning. However, what this speaks for the future is up for guesses because what Kacey Musgraves did here has been preceded by only a few others and for that she certainly deserves the praise. Overall, Kacey Musgraves is talented and she sounds great. Her music is easy to listen to and she deserves every accolade she has received for her contributions to music. The question is whether or not this was an album to hear before disembarking this life.

Coups de coeur : Golden Hour Lonely weekend

Yeah this is fantastic. Even ignoring the title, this album just brings such a warm feeling and thorough comfort with it. Part of that is just what country music does (although it is not at all my favorite genre), but Kacey’s voice has a great delicate mess to it which amplifies that. Really creative song topics/lyrics and production stays fresh by working in elements of electronic, dance, and pop. 9/10

My wife plays this all the time. It will always remind me of her

Whilst I do love this album, a critical listen let me realise that I don't love all of it. However, it is defo my top country album.

Really nice slow country music, lyrics are a little dull tho and it's just missing a bit of oomph

YESSSSSSSS

It's a nice listen but mostly nothing too interesting. I was going to give this a 2, but the last three songs were all great so have bumped this up

I was all set to hate on Kacey Musgraves, but here I am... I am the asshole. This was super enjoyable listening to in the still of a pre-dawn morning. I struggle to think of a better time and place to turn this on. Very nice.

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.

Probably the most surprising album to date. I love it! I haven’t been able to move on to today’s album because this one has been on repeat. It’s labeled country pop. I hear a little twang here and there, but there is more pop than country, which is a good thang.

It's a nice album... 2.5/5

Good voice production and all but it just never grabbed me.

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.

I liked this. A nice blend of country-ish, singer-songwriter and pop styles. I'll download and listen again.

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.

Good but not great. The songs sounded pretty similar to one another I think.

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

Not really the target audience for this one.

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 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.

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’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!

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.

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.

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.

Like the first track I think this album is a "Slowburn" it is all a bit samey for my eclectic taste.

I finally listened to this to be able to get back on track It was very syrupy. Deep inside there might be a half decent C&W album trying to get out of all the glossy production

Stealth country. Does what it does pretty well. I probably won't seek it out again, but there's some great songs here.

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.

first listen the flavour of country music that i enjoy perfectly

Some catchy tunes but I just didn’t find it that memorable overall. Maybe biased against my idea of contemporary country tho

this was very 2000s singer-songwriter, but with meh lyrics and boring instrumentals. very disappointing

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.

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

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.

This was pretty good

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.

Yet another balladist. Nothing new for me.

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.

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.

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

Pleasant yet nothing that hasn’t been done before many times over - some good songs though

Not my thing at all. Got through about half of it but couldn’t do much more.

Beautiful music, album is full of somber tracks, not bad. High Horse is a good song

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.

Flummoxed how this won a Grammy for Album of the Year. What am I missing?

Quelle merde

Like her music…. Velvet Elvis, Wonder Woman

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.

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

Phenomenal album will listen again

Excellent!

Probably again just not for me unfortunately

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.

Nice enough, but unoffensive Taylor Swift type country doesn't do it for me

Auto tuned country. Not as bad as I expected

It's country, and as much as it's pleasant, country doesn't do anything for me.

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

It's okay

De e cheeeelin

Cutesy country-tinged pop :)

Helt för uppstädat i mixen, tappar jättemycket slagkraft då musiken bara är slät och lättsmält. Många av låtarna är ändå bra.

Ei lähe kyl. Nättiä joo, mut todella imelää.

After suffering through the PJ Harvey album, this has been a soothing listen. Very backgroundy though. Nothing stands out, inoffensive stuff.

I'd heard good things so I was expecting something a bit more than middling fun country pop

Inoffensive Taylor Swift tribute act but nothing new. Happy & Sad the best of the lot.

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.

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.

Never thought I’d like a country album but here we are it’s great

so lovely

I didn't hate it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I ain't into modern country or singy-songy stuff so this is a miss for me. Sorry.

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.

Really nice album. Sort of folky / country vibe with beautiful vocals

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.

lol, poppy country music. Laaaaaaaame. 2/5.

Modern pop country at its finest. Comforting and warm but never sleepy. Sticks with you for quite a while.

It’s alright, but nothing impressive

Doesn't do much

Mmmmkay. Vuoden 2018 levy ja tällä materiaalilla listoilla? WTF. Tällainen levy on tehty vähintään kerran kuukaudessa viimeisen 20v aikana...

Taas melko tuore levy sisällöltään tusinaa. Sit oli vielä vahingossa shuffle pällä, nii en jaksanu kuunnella loppuun. Ei nyt skeidaa kuitenkaan

last track has such OASIS MELODIES

Bit too poppy to really be country

Some nice ditties… lost me with all the cowboy and ranch shit. Not an unpleasant listen!

Not too bad, just not for me.

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.

Wel heel zoetsappig, maar goed voor de ochtend

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.

she literally just copies T swift in this album?

I didn’t know much going in but really enjoyed thia

2.3 - Decent listen, but just not a genre I really enjoy.

I love this album. Psychedelic pop country is a genre I didn't know I wanted or needed when I first heard Butterflies.

Modern folk tinged pop, 90’s production. Pretty good!

“A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.” Ugh.

loveee

The country vibe makes this a little less accessible to me. I pushed through to the more pop ending which was nice.

Tuneful, bright, twangy, light

Vriendelijke countrypop. Vakkundig maar verder niks aan de hand.

This album feels like getting a nice long hug from a good friend you haven't seen in a while. One of my favorites.

Honestly, I was kind of a fan. Did not expect that.

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

Not my jam, but she is clearly talented.

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.

It was very pleasant and there were some nice songs

This was perfectly pleasant I'd say. Nice country twang music. Didn't massively appeal to me to listen again though