Kacey Musgraves
star-crossed
MCA Nashville/Interscope
Listen Below
Whether in the car, on the turntable or simply in my mind, no other album has occupied as much of my time and attention over the past three-and-a-half years than Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour (2018). Primed for broader, breakout success after securing critical plaudits and modest commercial returns upon delivering her excellent debut LP Same Trailer Different Park (2013) and its even stronger successor Pageant Material (2015), the endlessly endearing Golden Hour offered glowing proof upon its arrival that “the girl from Golden (Texas)” had formally transitioned into one of the most adept songwriters working today.
A near-perfect symbiosis of sharp, evocative songwriting short on pretension, vocals that convey emotional weight without devolving into superficial or overwrought trappings, and instantly memorable melodies, the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning Golden Hour warrants each and every one of the accolades it received…and then some. It’s a true modern classic that will endure for not just years, but for generations to come.
But when confronted with the prospect of not just listening to, but also reviewing the album’s much anticipated follow-up, I’ve admittedly been apprehensive. For as much as I’d love to deny that this is the case, my expectations and hopes for the new record have been sky high. And I know I’m not alone in this sentiment, as even the most cursory scan of Musgraves’ devoted fans’ comments plastered across her social feeds attests to.
I also recognize, however, that while it’s a natural inclination to make comparisons between an artist’s various works of art, particularly those that are related sequentially, such juxtapositions are also largely unfair. Life and world events directly and indirectly impact their artistic identities, their creative desires change, and invariably, their music evolves. And this is a good thing. To expect Musgraves to deliver Golden Hour II would be a fool’s errand and a veritable carbon copy of the album would also undermine the original’s distinctive brilliance.
So, all of this to say that as I’ve spent time with star-crossed, I’ve tried my damnedest to hear its fifteen songs independent of the thirteen songs that preceded them three years ago. Beyond the obvious and much-discussed distinction that Golden Hour is predicated upon the experience of falling in love while star-crossed dissects what happens when two lovers fall out with each other (in other words, the “Golden Hour faded black,” as Musgraves contemplates in “what doesn’t kill me”), I’ve opted to avoid any additional comparisons so as to experience and interpret the latter record solely based on its own merits.
And although it has proven rather challenging, I’ve also attempted to minimize my exposure to the full-on hype machine that has surrounded the album’s release, replete with accompanying film, merchandising blitz, etc. Indeed, the scope of promotional activity has been admittedly impressive, considering that it’s been concentrated in a remarkably abbreviated amount of time since the album’s lead single “star-crossed” was unveiled less than three weeks ago on August 23rd. Hype and quality do not always go hand in hand, so I’ve steered clear of false, manufactured expectations.
As for the aforementioned life events, Musgraves is no stranger to how these can impact one’s creative direction and focus. Beyond the much-deserved global fame she has captured in the past few years, it’s a vast understatement to say that the recent dissolution of her marriage to fellow singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly has provided newfound fodder for her songwriting, which is rather explicitly evidenced throughout the expanse of star-crossed.
“It’s daunting to put your emotions about something really personal on display,” Musgraves confided to Elle back in May. “I haven’t spoken much about this chapter, and I don’t feel like I owe that to anyone, but I owe it to myself as a creator to flesh out all these emotions that I’ve felt, and I do that through song. It would be strange if I didn’t acknowledge what happened in my life creatively, but it is scary to be like, ‘I’m about to share my most personal thoughts about me, about this other person, about a union that I had with someone.’”
It’s undeniable that the context of real-life drama does indeed add to the mystique of listening to star-crossed, as it most certainly has for other beloved “breakup” albums like Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks (1965), Carole King’s Tapestry (1971), Joni Mitchell’s Blue (1971), Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear (1978), and Beck’s Sea Change (2002), among others.
Lyrically speaking, star-crossed unfolds as an acutely introspective album that effectively straddles the line between the personal and conceptual, offering perspective into Musgraves’ state of mind while also conveying more broadly universal themes of lost love, regret and resilience. At an efficient 47 minutes in duration with each song averaging roughly 3 minutes in length, the 15-track set is organized—as Musgraves has framed it—as a “tragedy in three acts” that traverses the multitude of ever-shifting emotions that accompany heartbreak and dashed dreams.
“It's a feeling of confidence and empowerment mixed with extreme fear and sadness and guilt and depression, but hope for the future,” Musgraves recently explained to NPR. “But then, yeah, a little bit of anger, a little bit of bargaining, a little bit of struggling to accept where you are. I don't think that any one emotion or song can really speak for how I feel.”
Musically, and understandably, Musgraves has reunited with her trusted production team of Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, with whom she collaborated on Golden Hour. A noticeably more pop-indebted sheen is imbued within this new batch of songs with soundscapes that, over the course of fifteen tracks, largely function as innocuous and serviceable, if not spectacular, backdrops for her musings. The arrangements here neither detract nor enhance, which results in Musgraves’ words being elevated to the forefront as one listens to star-crossed, as they should be.
With cinematic flare accentuated by flamenco-style guitar riffs, the drama-rich title track “star-crossed” rather explicitly articulates the narrative arc of the songs to follow in Musgraves opening lines, “Let me set the scene / Two lovers ripped right at the seams / They woke up from the perfect dream / And then the darkness came / I signed the papers yesterday / You came and took your things away / And moved out of the home we made / And gave you back your name.” If you had any delusions about what star-crossed is about, Musgraves quells those with succinct clarity right out of the gate.
The other songs that comprise the album’s initial act—which finds a wistful yet very self-aware Musgraves reminiscing about the relationship in question—arguably represent the strongest fare to be found across the album. “cherry blossom” is the standout offering here, with an airy, midtempo melody coupled with its clever metaphor about the beauty and fragility of love resulting in pure pop perfection.
With a lilting, soulful groove replete with retro ‘70s era AOR flourishes, the aspirational “good wife” finds Musgraves looking inward to examine her role in preserving the relationship while acknowledging her doubts (“And the truth is / I could probably make it on my own / But without him, this house just wouldn't be a home / And I don't wanna be alone”).
Atop a dark, moody groove, “if this was a movie…” aligns with the cinematic thrust of the album in its exploration of the disconnect between the fantasy and reality of love, with Musgraves reflecting, “If this was a movie / Love would be enough / To save us from the darkness that's inside both of us / And we'd get away and we'd be okay.”
The album’s middle passage finds Musgraves grappling with her ambivalence and synthesizing her conflicting emotions in the relationship’s immediate aftermath, most convincingly manifested in the second single and album highlight “justified.” “If I cry just a little and then laugh in the middle,” she sings. “If I hate you and I love you, and then I change my mind / If I need just a little more time to deal with the fact / That you shoulda treated me right / Then I'm more than just a little justified.” Though Musgraves maintains a rather diplomatic disposition throughout the bulk of the album, the biting bop “breadwinner” strips away any sugarcoating for a frank diatribe that explores tensions and insecurities that can arise in a relationship when the woman is the professionally and financially dominant entity, arguably a dynamic that she has first-hand experience with.
In star-crossed’s third and final stage, the battle-tested Musgraves emerges hopeful and primed for what the future holds for her. The guitar-driven “keep lookin’ up” finds an empowered Musgraves ready to move on, while the shimmering disco-lite jam “there is a light” contains a luminous energy enhanced with a surprising (and surprisingly wonderful) flute solo interspersed throughout (courtesy of Jim Hoke). The album concludes with Musgraves showcasing her bilingual skills with her cover of Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa’s version of Chilean folk singer-activist Violeta Parra’s “gracias a la vida” with its optimistic opening line that translates to “thanks to life, which has given me so much.”
Speaking of gratitude, thankfully, star-crossed is far from a repackaged rehash of its predecessor, which—had Musgraves opted for this more predictable path—would have proven an unfortunate example of creative complacency and opportunism. Instead, and much to Musgraves’ credit, star-crossed showcases her evolving versatility as an artist, propelled by the continued refinement of her refreshingly introspective writing. All in all, it’s a bold, brave statement that feels honest and true to this current chapter of Musgraves’ life narrative and musical identity.
Notable Tracks: “breadwinner” | “cherry blossom” | “if this was a movie…” | “justified”
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