Album Review: Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Golden Hour’

There’s something remarkably special about being an “old soul.” Kacey Musgraves is the model definition of this on her new album Golden Hour, as her old soul is integrated in every aspect of the masterpiece. Musgraves bares her soul in the most fascinating of ways across 13 captivating tracks, diverging down an entirely new path that puts the album in a genre all its own.

Mugraves creates new heights for herself on Golden Hour, pushing boundaries in a way that only she is capable of. She leaves no stone unturned as she pulls from every corner of her mind to offer a true reflection of who she is on each track. But perhaps the most awe-inspiring element of the album is how all types of people will see their own reflections throughout the project. Take “Happy & Sad” for example, as social introverts are bound to identify with the notion of being “the kind of person who starts getting kind of nervous when I’m having the time of my life.” New lovers are sure to get “Butterflies” and those on the opposite end of the spectrum will take solace in hearing “it’s alright to be alone sometimes” on the relatable “Lonely Weekend.”

But it’s the incomparable “Space Cowboy” that will grab your heartstrings and never let go. A compelling sense of freedom pours through over a waning melody that embodies pure nostalgia, making for one of Musgraves’ best songs yet. She delivers this same sincerity on the beautiful “Mother,” that even at just over a minute’s runtime will bring tears to your eyes with its sense of longing and melancholy that comes with the feeling of fleeting time with the people you love.

Golden Hour reaches depths not yet achieved in modern country music, like capturing the overwhelming beauty of life on “Oh, What a World” where Musgraves details the purity in her surroundings while simultaneously pondering our existential existence. And leave it to her to effortlessly transition from her signature western flare to disco-infused country on the eclectic “High Horse.”

Musgraves has always been a songwriter at heart, but Golden Hour comes from an even deeper place, weaving subtle, yet powerful threads between every song that connect to each unique individual. It’s an album that’s timeless and refreshing at the same time, sounding unlike any other body of music. “It’ll all be alright” are the final words we hear from Musgraves on the closing, hopeful track “Rainbow,” delivering them with such honesty that you can’t help but trust her.

It’s this sense of trust that Musgraves’ fans have placed in her since the beginning, knowing she’ll impact them with her wise storytelling while standing fearless in her individuality. Golden Hour isn’t just an album, it’s a force of nature that Musgraves curated observing the world around her and translating that insight into inspiring words, calling out to the listener’s soul as she pours out her own. As an old soul, she has the earnest ability to drawn in all walks of life with her artistry and Golden Hour is profound evidence of this gift.