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Post by Tim on Dec 22, 2018 17:50:42 GMT
Who the heck is Kacey Musgraves?
That’s a quote from the BBC a few weeks ago when a reporter was running down the list of the UK’s best selling albums from 2018. Now today it seems Golden Hour is the critics choice for the year, as mentioned by Paul (Slinger). So for the uninitiated who is Kacey Musgraves? Broadly speaking she’s a 30 year old US Country music singer-songwriter from a very small town called Golden in Texas. She has 3 self released demo albums the earliest from 2002 (not available as far as I know), but her career properly launched on signing to Mercury Records in 2012, with the release of her first full studio album Same Trailer Different Park. Since then she has produced 3 more, but for me STDP is her best work. Her latest album Golden Hour reached number 1 in the UK country charts and is this years music critics ‘poll of polls’ album of the year. Lyrically Same Trailer Different Park pushed quite a few buttons for the normally conservative Country genre and a lot of US radio stations wouldn’t play some of the song’s because they included controversial topics such as LGBT acceptance, religion, recreational drug use and safe sex. A very bold move for a then 24 year old female country singer. Kacey has a very big following in the UK, regularly selling out large venues and when she sold out the Royal Albert Hall in 2015 she stated it was the largest gig she had ever played. The year before she sold out the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the year before that Bush Hall, London. So her rise here has been steady but quite rapid. This year she headlined the C2C Country Festival which takes place in March across London, Dublin and Glasgow. Country and Americana music is rising in popularity in the UK at an equally rapid rate. Her appeal is quite unique crossing age and gender boundaries as well musical genre boundaries. I don’t believe Kacey considers herself a Country artist, just a singer-songwriter, but she’s in that box as far as the music media is concerned, at least that’s my impression. She describes her latest album Golden Hour as Space Country . . . whatever that might be. I doubt if she would have much appeal here, as she definitely has her feet in the Country music camp, with pedal steel guitar and banjos, but she’s way off anything you would consider traditional country music (or Country & Western as some describe it). So on the slight off chance anyone would like to know more, start with Same Trailer Different Park and the two songs that sparked criticism (which is frankly ridiculous and indicative of how insular the US can be) are Merry Go ‘Round and Follow Your Arrow, which as it happens are my favourite songs on the album, along with It Is What It Is. So maybe give those a go, if you don’t like those, it’s doubtful she will appeal. There’s great songs throughout, but I love the entire album and she has a lot to say for a small town girl. I think it’s outstanding both lyrically and musically as well as being very well produced, but it’s the lyrics that really shine through for me, as they are extremely clever and of the moment, especially Follow Your Arrow. Rolling Stone has it rated at #28 in their best albums of 2013 charts. As a live act you can’t help but be impressed by her infectious, down to earth attitude, which is both refreshing and addictive. She’s just a very talented, nice human being and not up her arse at all. I was at all the gigs mentioned above apart from Bush Hall as I had another gig that night. Her 2014 Shepherd’s Bush gig remains one of my favourite shows of all time. Of all the shows I go to I think Kacey Musgrave fans cover the widest demographic of all – there’s all ages, all sexes, which is fantastic to see and be a part of. I think musically she might be moving away from where I want to follow, but I very much respect her talent. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 22, 2018 18:14:39 GMT
Thanks, Tim. Is the album title a reference to Beth Orton's by any chance?
I shall listen to it tonight.
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Post by Tim on Dec 22, 2018 18:27:05 GMT
Not really Martin, I believe it's reflective of her upbringing as a middle American and the many struggles people in that position face, from their small minded and judgemental peers. It contains some very insightful observations on life. Unless of course Beth Orton wrote Trailer Park along the same lines, I'm not as familiar with that album but I do have it.
Same Trailer Different Park also won a Grammy for best Country album.
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Post by Slinger on Dec 22, 2018 18:36:03 GMT
"She describes her latest album Golden Hour as Space Country . . . whatever that might be."
A slightly more low-key (or perhaps down-to-earth) version of Gram's "Cosmic Country Music" perhaps?
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Post by Tim on Dec 22, 2018 18:48:08 GMT
Hmm, that's a very good point Slinger  Martin, thinking of Mindy Smith you could well like the last song on the album, It Is What It Is. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 22, 2018 20:57:59 GMT
Listening to the album now, Tim.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 22, 2018 21:29:57 GMT
Having played it all once, I will need another listen. Pretty good but I don't think she'll displace Mindy Smith.
Blowin' Smoke is good! A bit Sheryl Crow, actually.
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Post by Tim on Dec 23, 2018 0:33:25 GMT
Haha, now that is funny as I'd put Blowin' Smoke near the bottom of the pile on the record along with Stupid. Thanks for trying it out though, but as I said I don't really think this or Kacey has appeal here, possibly Slinger as he seems to favour lyrics as well as sound (Chris too, but this isn't I think his bag). That's the albums foundation and what Kacey is good at, which is a common country music trait, stories with music, as opposed to music with words.
That could explain why it's not that popular amongst many audiophiles, as true country isn't IMO primarily about how it sounds, it's lyrics and the meaning behind the song. It's not exactly poetry, but a good country song will normally have a purpose, be that a message or a personal experience of the songwriter. I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'three chords and the truth', before, but that does quite succinctly sum up country. I think if Follow Your Arrow and Merry Go 'Round don't do it for you then Kacey's probably not for you - but it's those thorny old lyrics again, if you're not into them, then you're not into them. We are both listening to the same things, but hearing them very differently 
I bet Alex likes her, I must fire an email off to him, not been in contact for awhile, so a timely reminder.
As a foot note, this wasn't an attempt to try and convert anyone to Country or Americana, that horse wasn't even in the stable to leave! More of a general information post, as nobody seems to know who she is, despite her huge popularity and the success of Golden Hour (and this album). The BBC music reporters comment did make me think what a dickhead though. If a so called professional music commentator doesn't know who she is in 2018, then even if he doesn't like her, that's him not doing his job.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 23, 2018 11:34:13 GMT
Yes indeed, it's back to the lyrics versus the sound that music makes.
I really like the feel of Blowin' Smoke so we are definitely listening to different things. Vive la difference!
Thanks for the write-up, at least now I know who she is.
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Post by Tim on Dec 23, 2018 13:27:25 GMT
Don't you ever concentrate on, or listen to the lyrics Martin? And if the lyrics were exceptional, could that make you like a song that perhaps wasn't to your liking sonically? In fact on a scale of 1 - 10, how important would you rate lyrics in the song, assuming it has them? And I'm talking about a song that exists mostly because of it's lyrical content as opposed to something like The Gates of Delirium, which is a totally different ball game, as that's clearly the sound of the music first . . . a veritable cornucopia of sonic pleasure.
Dylan would be a good example of lyrical content over how the song sounds. Cohen too, but thinking about that I guess people go for the sound of his voice and the music, rather than just his words, as it seems common for audiophiles to like Cohen but not Dylan.
Or isn't it something you've ever really considered, preferring to just concentrate on the sound the music makes without paying much attention to the lyrics?
I find this interesting as it could explain quite a lot about why I seem to enjoy a lot of different music to the majority here, who I mostly (not all) consider to be audiophiles first.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 23, 2018 13:42:40 GMT
Don't you ever concentrate on, or listen to the lyrics Martin? And if the lyrics were exceptional, could that make you like a song that perhaps wasn't to your liking sonically? I love to listen to Leonard Cohen's lyrics as they make me sit up and listen. I can't get past Dylan's voice, unfortunately. Cohen's the exception, though. I often use the example of choral music. I simply adore the sound of it, but I don't care for the words which, thankfully, are in Latin so I don't have to. Lots of adoration of a made-up deity, mostly. This is why I find myself liking requiems, masses etc. Beautiful sound, couldn't care less what they are saying except for the overall mood of, say, a requiem. |
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Post by Tim on Dec 23, 2018 13:58:22 GMT
Didn't fully get to what I was driving at but never mind, would probably take too long to try and explain exactly what I mean I enjoy Requiems, masses etc, but that's different as I don't know what they are singing and like you couldn't care less, it's the overall sound. But choral music isn't written for it's lyrics, that's what I'm trying to get a handle on and understand, as I don't fully understand the concept of ignoring the lyrics if that's why the song exists in the first place, purely for it's lyrics 
Haha, ho hum tis no matter, time to enjoy Burn.
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Post by Tim on Dec 23, 2018 14:12:36 GMT
One thing I do think is that this album isn't likely to appeal (or Kacey really) but you might prefer Golden Hour, in fact I'd probably say your order of preference for KM albums would be the opposite way around to mine, as in;
Golden Hour Pageant Material Same Trailer Different Park
I don't count her Christmas album as a serious release.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 23, 2018 15:20:14 GMT
Thanks, I'll try Golden Hour.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 23, 2018 16:36:43 GMT
Didn't fully get to what I was driving at but never mind, would probably take too long to try and explain exactly what I mean I enjoy Requiems, masses etc, but that's different as I don't know what they are singing and like you couldn't care less, it's the overall sound. But choral music isn't written for it's lyrics, that's what I'm trying to get a handle on and understand, as I don't fully understand the concept of ignoring the lyrics if that's why the song exists in the first place, purely for it's lyrics
Haha, ho hum tis no matter, time to enjoy Burn.
Burn - yee haa! Going off at a mild tangent but why not ... Classical choral music can of course be enjoyed purely for the music but very easy to enhance your enjoyment and understanding with an appreciation of the words. Best example I can think of would be a Requiem - so much more poignant when you know what each movement is about! |
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 23, 2018 16:38:04 GMT
And if the lyrics were exceptional, could that make you like a song that perhaps wasn't to your liking sonically? Not to liking sonically as in quality of sound? Yes. Not to liking as in music I didn't like? No. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 23, 2018 16:59:38 GMT
Requiems - pretty easy to work out the movements. I am more fascinated at the differences between the Verdi, Mozart, Pergolesi, Faure, Durufle etc.
The same for Stabat Maters. I don't need or want to understand the words, but I can appreciate the vast difference between, say, the Vivaldi and the Poulenc.
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Post by Stratmangler on Dec 23, 2018 20:10:47 GMT
I have Kasey Musgraves on right now, and I haven't made an effort to play anything else, so that's a good sign as far as I'm concerned. I really quite like her lyrics - she puts her point across very well.
She's going on my Spotify artist list, that's for sure.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 23:13:58 GMT
I tried this album earlier after reading this thread and I would say she is ok, but for me nothing special and I probably won’t invest time in her other music. The album is nice but didn’t give the the sensation of wanting to hear more and didn’t keep me interested throughout.
Like Martin, I am a Mindy Smith fan (following his introduction) and would chose any of her albums over this.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 23:18:38 GMT
In terms of a 1-10 scale, with 10 being most, I would rate lyrics as a 1, I rarely listen to them at all, preferring tunes and the music itself.
This has always been the case. I remember my sister learning the lyrics to all songs she knew (particularly Take That at the time) and me rarely knowing the words to any songs.
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