Monday, April 16, 2018

Update

Well my life is being... lifey again, except maybe in a positive way this time? So yeah, updates here may be few and far between. I'm glad I got that Kacey Musgraves post out. In case I don't update for months, here are a few points.

~ Ashley McBryde's album is fire and a half. I love it. A contender for my album of the year and song of the year for "Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega." I will talk about it more at length in my year-end review, if not sooner. Let's just say, when I heard "Dive Bar" it kinda felt like a "Kerosene moment." The first time I heard Miranda was that song, and it was... not really life-changing, but life-affirming? Reaffirming my love for country music that was kinda dormant at the time? Yeah, that's what happened with Ashley McBryde. And, like Miranda, her album lived up to my hopes.

~ I listened to Brandi Carlile's album a couple months ago. While I did like it, it didn't stick with me the way her last album did. I think part of it was the production. I will listen to it again with fresh ears towards the end of the year. Sometimes there are just albums where you go, "it's good," but don't feel compelled to listen often. idk.

~ The next album I listen to will be Blackberry Smoke. I haven't been in much of a new listening place lately, other than singles. Sometimes I really like the low commitment factor of singles lol. I'm digging the new Carrie Underwood and Drake. Having Carrie back just feels right. The new Weeknd songs aren't doing much for me, too downbeat and moody. "Pray for Me" is still great though.

What else is coming out this year? I had heard Best Coast at some point, but that info seems to have vanished. hmmm. Apparently something is going on with System of a Down, but I'm not gonna get my hopes up about that. Would be amazing, and timely, if they did release new music though. Oh! Pistol Annies later this year, I think? I hope so. Panic at the Disco in a couple months, that could be a fun summer album based on the two songs I've heard. Oh and Ashley Monroe soon, I think.

Other artists I really want new music from ~ Eric Church, Cage the Elephant, The Pretty Reckless, and um, Weezer, but only if it doesn't suck 😇

Movie-wise, A Quiet Place was AMAZING, and the trailer for Hereditary also looked amazing. Fresh new horror movies give me life.

Okay, I think that's it! If something blows my mind I might pop in to talk about it, but this place will probably be tumbleweeds for awhile.

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

New Music ~ Kacey Musgraves

Okay, I was gonna do a multi-album review later, but I think I need to talk about this one now. Not because of all the noxious internet bluster - noxious internet bluster's just another Tuesday - but because I keep listening to it. In fact, ima do myself a happy little mental health favour and ignore all the bluster entirely. Turn off the noise, turn on the music.


Because this album - I've been trying to figure out just the right way to describe it. "It sounds like spring" was my first thought, one that was echoed by ARTV on his review. (I really enjoyed his video on the album BTW - none of the toxic "country vs non-country" stuff, he just talks about the music.) My second thought, and one I'm a little surprised more people haven't picked up on, is that it sounds like a happier Rilo Kiley album. Maybe I'm the only person who still cares about RK in 2018, idk, they were a very meaningful band in my life. But I'd be shocked if Kacey wasn't somewhat inspired by Jenny Lewis.

My third thought, and the one I think best describes the album, is it's the living embodiment of one of those "no bad vibes" signs. Cause this album is good vibes, and the fact that it's making some people lose their shit (apparently) is kind of hilarious.

I will say this once, despite some country instrumentation I don't consider this a country album. I'll call it indie pop with Americana leanings, and mostly, I DON'T CARE. I'm done with the whole "this isn't country" thing. If I like it, I like it. If it has a drum machine on it it's probably not country, and I'm probably not gonna like it either, so who cares? This isn't that at all, this isn't a sell out, there's nothing on here that even sounds like a radio single. This is an album. One of my favourite Kacey songs is "Dandelion," so I've always been a fan of her airier side, and that's mostly what we get here. The main focus is Kacey's voice, literally and figuratively, and the instrumentation and production is nice and subtle in a way that lets her breathe.

When I discussed Pageant Material, I was generally positive but felt she was a little stuck in the same rut of Same Trailer. There weren't a whole lot of thematic differences, despite standout songs like "Dimestore Cowgirl" and the title track. Golden Hour doesn't have those real standout tracks to me, but it works better as an album overall. At the end of my Pageant Material discussion, I said I hoped she would go in a different direction on her next album for fear of growing stale. There are only so many songs you can make about small-minded people in small towns and mind your own biscuits. And she did it. This album is a departure, and it works.

My biggest fear with Kacey, despite her beautiful voice and miles of talent, was her songwriting would prove one-dimensional over time. This album reveals a new dimension, and somehow shows more depth in lighter, more transcendent songs than yet more snarky or dour material would. They're different, but still introspective. This isn't dumb, fluffy pop music. Nor is every song happy. "Mother" is a simple but affecting song about separated family members missing and thinking of each other, with kind of a cosmic vibe. "Lonely Weekend" isn't really a sad song, it's more about learning to be okay with being alone sometimes. "Happy & Sad" is an incisive and relatable look into Kacey's mind, "I'm the kind of person who starts getting kinda nervous, When I'm having the time of my life." SAME, girl, same. Damn, I feel that song.

She lets herself be fully open and thankful on "Oh What a World," a breath of fresh air I would call the biggest standout of the album. She just wants to take a moment to be happy and feel the magic of the world. Such a simple thing, yet how often do any of us really do it? "Rainbow" is another favorite, a quite beautiful song that assures us storms will pass and we'll be alright, there's always been a rainbow there. (The "rainbow" kind of seems like God, and faith? Maybe that's just how I took it. Maybe it's just about positive energy. Either way, it works.) Believe me, I know the feeling of being so deep in a rut, you don't even realize when you're happy cause you're so used to being sad.

This album won't have any "hits," but I do think it will resonate with people in this weary world. Because while it is uplifting overall, it isn't empty platitudes. Kacey knows how hard life can be, she clearly understands anxiety and depression, and while there are no easy answers sometimes the only answer is to just let yourself feel. Let yourself be happy, even if sometimes it's hard and we're our own worst enemy. As she says on "Slow Burn," "I'm gonna do it my way, it'll be alright." On her past albums there was kind of this theme of "the world is theirs" (the small-minded, conformist types) and we just have to roll our eyes and get high or whatever. On Golden Hour it's more "the world is OURS." Her perspective seems bigger, brighter, and more open.

While I wouldn't say this is my favorite Kacey album, at least not yet, I got a lot out of this. I loved seeing this different side of her and relating even more. It's a change, but as we saw with Paramore and Kesha last year, sometimes a change will do you good. Now that we've seen this more personal side of her music, I'm more excited than ever to keep following... I'm sorry I'm sorry... her arrow. Sigh. You know I had to do it.