Review Summary: I'm gonna do it my way, it'll be alright; if we burn it down and it takes all night...
What’s beautiful about an album like
Golden Hour is that there’s not much distance between the artist and the listener. More than ever before, Kacey Musgraves has opted to lay her cards on the table whether she’s accepted for that or not, offering intricate details and sharp vignettes regarding her life and personality. “Slow Burn” is an apt title, as the opener’s dreamlike tread slowly introduces us to the singular universe of Musgraves while hinting at the album’s more eclectic moments. Alongside traditional country pop (which this record very much still revels in wholeheartedly),
Golden Hour is rounded out by shades of indie folk and psychedia, the former expanding on the intimate singer-songwriter vibe that defines the collection. There may be a few songs that have the potential for radio airplay sometime down the road, such as the sunny banjo-driven anthem “Wonder Woman” or the lovely piano ballad “Space Cowboy,” but you can tell that this album was made with a holistic vision in mind. It just flows so naturally that it’s best taken from beginning to end, as Musgraves takes us through each unique facet of her life.
But for all the talk of honesty and charming naivete, it’s not like the album can only be appreciated on a surface level, especially from the standpoint of the compositions. The curtain between the artist and her art may only be a thin veil here, but the twists and turns provided by the instrumentation show that the record’s easygoing exterior can be deceiving. You may be enjoying the fun stomping rhythms of “Velvet Elvis” only to be greeted later by what I can only call disco-country (!) with the funky “High Horse.” There’s even some harmonized vocoder singing to kick off “Oh, What a World,” which I never expected to hear on such an otherwise homely and organic piece of music.
Golden Hour has a weird knack for teetering between comfortable familiarity and strange off-putting quirks, both of which are somehow natural when placed alongside each other. They can even clash once in a while, like the way “Happy and Sad” combines euphoric balladry with lyrics and vocals that present emotional conflict and indecision. Speaking of which, let’s get to the focal point of the record: Kacey herself. Simply put, she’s evolved considerably since her debut back in 2013. Her voice, while not displaying the widest range, is so warm and inviting that you feel like you’re in the same room as her as she sings. She may use effects on her vocals from time to time, like the multitracking in “Velvet Elvis,” but she never loses her ability to sell her tunes on pure emotion and investment. Just listen to her effortless melancholic crooning on top of the jazz-oriented acoustic guitar of the title track, a song which establishes her as someone who can transcend the boundaries of country music on voice alone. If you need any more proof of that, the way she lets loose and has fun on the energetic dance rhythms of “High Horse” will seal the deal.
Golden Hour concludes with a sparse piano ballad with lyrics about opening up and just letting things happen naturally, which seems fitting for an album that was built on Musgraves herself providing insight into her world. I always remembered one quote that Icelandic singer-songwriter Bjork gave back in 1996: “Singing is like a celebration of oxygen.” Likewise, this album feels like a celebration of life itself, not shying away from the dark twists and revelations while being sure to place a special focus on the beautiful moments of euphoria. I urge you all to take part in this fine-tuned, beautifully-crafted piece of country pop and its stunning emotional heights; you may never want to come down.
