Let me set the scene - two lovers ripped right at the seams

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Albums of 2021

#28 : Star Crossed - Kacey Musgrave



Every stage of a breakup is sung in chronological order here: marital worries, hope for the relationship being good enough, worsening arguments, split, poignant staring at old photos, perspective gained, exciting/depressing ventures on to dating apps, eventual feeling of true freedom. Swerve a couple of tepid chillout-compilation moments and along the journey you alight at some of Musgraves’ prettiest songwriting, nicely leavened with her straight-talking, wearily dismayed tone of voice.


I'm a bit of fan our Kace, having both written about her and picked her for my only #AOTD choice so far (next one coming up next week - and there's a fair few contenders still in the mix).  This is the first album on the list that I've actually previously listened to and I liked it but it's a bit more downbeat than previous records from the lass, but that's what happens when your marriage breaks down, I guess.  It's an interesting companion piece to Golden Hour, her previous album where she was very much in lurve - you can't accuse her of avoiding her personal life in her music.  Overall, I don't think this is her top work, but it's still very listenable - and I imagine very relatable if you've gone through a break-up of any size at any point in your life.  I'd also say that whilst listening to this album I stumbled across her cover of Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Moon", which is a stormer of a country "oh woe is me" anthem.


Wikipedia has quite a lot on the album (206 milliPeppers) but that tends to be the way for US country folks.  And - there's some controversy.  Oooh!  When the Grammy's came around, it got nominated in the "Best Pop Album" rather than "Best Country Album" category.  The president of the record label got quite shirty about the whole thing, but Kacey just tweeted "You can take the girl out of the country (genre) but you can't take the country out of the girl" which seems the best response possible to me.  The critics generally liked it though and it went down OK with the public too - #3 in the US and #10 in the UK.


"Customers also listened to" a load of people I've never heard of - I'd have to say Mitchell Tenpenny looks very country though.  Personally, I love Kacey's music and attitude - I wouldn't say this is her top work but it's still very listenable and I can see it will tick a lot of boxes for some.

#27 : Daddy's Home - St Vincent



It was perhaps slightly overshadowed by its backstory: Annie Clark’s father’s release from prison, which, for some listeners, cast the entire record in an unsympathetic light. But its lyricism was much richer than one man, and its 70s-inspired music richer still: psychedelic soul, cabaret songcraft, prog ballads, cosmic funk. Clark remains a highly literate and shapeshifting songwriter, where half the fun is working out how much is ironised and how much is real.


I'm also a bit of fan of our Vince, although I'd have to say she makes it tricky at times with some of her arty antics.  I wasn't aware this had come out though, so was looking forward to checking it out.  And yeah, if you like her I can see absolutely no reason why you wouldn't like this - I struggle to see it converting many people into new fans though.  It was also a bit bizarre how she seems to have based "My Baby Wants A Baby" on Sheena Easton's "Nine To Five" - it's not an obvious inspiration for someone so innately cool.


Wikipedia has surprisingly little on the album, particularly given the comments from The Guardian above - maybe they cut out the controversy, or maybe The Guardian made it up.  The critics liked it though and the public liked it as well - #4 in the UK and #16 in the US.


"Customers also listened to" a load of people I've never heard of, but there was a load of single females there.  I liked this, but I'm not sure how I could describe to anyone how this is better than any of her previous albums - mostly because I'm not sure it is.


#30/29 - Two more young ladies
#26/25 - Six letters.  Begins with M.

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