Grammy Award-winning artist Kacey Musgraves released her sixth studio album “Deeper Well,” and fans are loving the back-to-basics focus of growing and bettering oneself with roots in gratitude and love. Following her honeymoon album “Golden Hour,” full of romance and promise, and her next album “star-crossed,” a divorce album, her most recent release brings her albums full circle. This album serves as an encore to her previous albums, a finality that speaks about the road to recovery and the learning curve that comes with loving something new again. The new album is a dedication to Musgraves’ new era of life. While it’s true that music is often enjoyed by the masses when it relies on themes of drama, heartbreak, alcohol and drugs, Musgraves takes a calmer approach to what she wants to speak about. She still lives within the ideas of love and loss, but brings a delicacy and detail-oriented viewpoint of what it looks like for her as her own person. Generally speaking, Musgraves is known for her understated, soft-voiced expressions which contrasts those in the country, pop and folk genres that she writes in. It’s what makes her stand out from the crowd and what appeals to her fans in a way that many big-names in the industry cannot. Working with her long-time writers and producers, Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, “Deeper Well” spotlights organic and seemingly transparent arrangements relying heavily on acoustic guitars and intentional finger-picking. This technique brings a subtle yet determined type of vibe to the album. Although being recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the album transports the listener to a pastoral setting, away from the hustle and bustle of people. The opening track, “Cardinal,” is a perfect example of everything mentioned. It displays the gratitude that centers the album as well as its countryside ambience. Complete with a 12-string guitar, the song acts as a precursor to the themes following, many being in a biblical realm. In this song, Musgraves finds omens in nature, such as the cardinal she sees after the death of a friend to which she asks, “Are you bringing me a message from the other side?” Although she feels the loss of her friend, she knows this sign comes from them and expresses her gratitude toward it. “Deeper Well” spends a significant amount of time on the idea of giving in to love again after a heartbreak and while this is an important part of Musgraves’ journey and the journey of all humans in general, the title track speaks more to what lies at the heart of the album — that growth comes through introspection and the reconciliation of the self, not simply a re-partnering with someone great. Many of the tracks aim to discover and explain the unearthly feeling that comes in hand with discovering yourself. “The Architect” is one in which Musgraves finds herself questioning God about a problem of good and evil, the puzzles of everyday life and even the existence of God itself in lines like, “This life that we make, is it random or fate? / Can I speak to the architect? / Is there an architect?” Modesty is an underrated skill that is held in the music industry, but Musgraves has held onto it in her music and life. In her music, she shows restraint in terms of her vocals and the instruments used which add to the careful and subdued atmosphere of the album. Musgraves has built a name for herself off of these fundamentals and continues to wow the public with her out-of-the-norm stylistic choices. |
Music
Kacey Musgraves releases sixth studio album
Titled “Deeper Well,” Musgraves' new record taps into a more delicate and calmer side of herself that is shown through both the instrumentals and lyrics.