SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KACEY MUSGRAVES – DEEPER WELL

KACEY MUSGRAVES
DEEPER WELL
INTERSCOPE RECORDS/MCA NASHVILLE/UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA

It is safe to say that since the 2010s, there has been no one better in country music than Kacey Musgraves, especially in the way she has almost rewritten the rules of what country music is. Her previous two albums, Golden Hour and Star-Crossed, were a ‘breath of fresh air’ for country music. They made country pop exciting and interesting again, were genre-defying, went against the boring clichés and pushed the boundaries of country music. Her latest album, Deeper Well, also fits into these categories with the same enthralling and entrancing result. Furthermore, Musgraves again proves why she is one of the best songwriters of her generation.

The instrumentation of Deeper Well might not be as creative or eclectic as Star-Crossed, but that is not necessarily bad. It is much more restrained and relaxed, allowing Musgraves’ voice and lyrics to be more at the forefront than Star-Crossed, in which the lyrics and vocals would occasionally get lost in the instrumentation. “Heart of the Woods” and “The Architect” are prime examples of this. The cozy and gentle instrumentation fits superbly with Musgraves’ calming vocals and poignant lyrics. Both are country music at its finest.

There are tons of exceptional moments throughout the record that demonstrate the magnetic versatility of Musgraves’ sound. Highlights include \“Too Good to Be True” which exquisitely interpolates Anna Nalick’s “Breathe (2 AM)”, the spacey and ethereal synths in “Deeper Well”, the gorgeous Americana soundscape of “Jade Green”, the R&B beats and ear-grabbing acoustic guitar (it is so damn good) of “Lonely Millionaire” or the terrific balance of warm and rustic country lyricism with catchy and energetic pop production in “Cardinal”.

Musgraves continues to deliver very sincere, intimate, vulnerable, and introspective lyrics, from the bittersweetness of “Moving Out”, to the incredibly evocative “Anime Eyes”, or the passionate and lovely “Dinner with Friends”. Musgraves is a master at storytelling, and there will probably not be a record released this year as poetic or highly descriptive as Deeper Well. 

“Anime Eyes” is the best song from the record and one of the top songs from Musgraves’ career. It is a truly electrifying track. The production is top-notch and incredibly hypnotic. There is a guitar slide that starts at 1:57, which is an absolute earworm (maybe one of the best guitar slides of the past decade), and the track’s ending is very dreamy and heavenly. Musgraves’ voice is outstanding, with 2:13-2:34 being the main highlight. Overall, the entire track is breathtaking.

Deeper Well is another fabulous record from Kacey Musgraves.

Artist Links