Thursday, December 27, 2018

Grammy's Album Of The Year Review: "Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves




I've decided to bring back my Album Of The Year nominee reviews. The field got expanded this year, so expect a review a week or thereabout. I'll draw at random which album I'll review week to week. I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 200. 




(All Rights To MCA Nashville)


"Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves



1) "Slow Burn"

It has a tranquil opening, with an added drum beat. A nice introduction to the album.





2) "Lonely Weekend"

This has more of a pop feel to it. Its catchy, but ultimately there isn't much there.





3) "Butterflies"

"Butterflies" is about just going through the motions of things; "Caught up in a web, I was gettin' kinda used to stayin' there". There's a unique synth backing to the track. On top of that, Kacey just paints a picture with her lyrics; "I was hiding in doubt 'til you brought me out of my chrysalis and I came out new all because of you".





4) "Oh, What A World"

It starts off with an electric-style intro, overall added by a cool instrumental.





5) "Mother"

This plays out like a letter. It says a lot with just a running time of 1:18.





6) "Love Is A Wild Thing"

This track starts off lyrically strong; "You can't find it sitting on a shelf in a store. If you try to hide it, it's gonna shine even more". This continues with the chorus; "Coming through the melody when the night bird sings". The lyrics paints a story.





7) "Space Cowboy"

Another track that showcases Kacey's plus lyrical work; "I ain't gonna fence you in. Go on, ride away in your Silverado.....Well sunsets fade, and love does too. Yeah, we had our day in the sun when a horse wants to run, there ain't no sense in closing the gate". A really touching and melancholy track.





8) "Happy & Sad"

This starts off with a smooth drum intro. Kacey is trying to balance out the two emotions named in the title; "And I'm the kind of person who starts getting kinda nervous when I'm having the time of my life". 





9) "Velvet Elvis"

There's a fusion feel to this. The track overall feels a bit disconnected from otherwise solid vocals.





10) "Wonder Woman"

The introduction has a sort of retro feel to it. This track is about setting standards  while not setting unattainable goals in relationships; "I don't know how to lasso the love out of you. Don't you know I'm only human? And if I let you down, I don't mean to". The vocals and instrumentals blends very well.




11) "High Horse"

"High Horse" has an uptempo dance-feel. The track feels very relate-able.  





12) "Golden Hour"

There's a classic/fusion style to this. It goes on to have a slow/dream-like tempo that while tranquil, causes it to drag.





13) "Rainbow"

It starts off with a nice piano intro, but it gets repetitive melodically. 




You can make the case that Kacey Musgraves has pulled off that country/pop mix better than Taylor Swift did. The songs lyrically wise still feel grounded and paint a story. A really solid album.


"Golden Hour": Kacey Musgraves - 169.2
"Invasion of Privacy": Cardi B - 161.5
"Black Panther: The Album" 135.7

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