If Kacey Musgraves‘ first demo albums – released between 2002 and 2007 when she was still a teen – were the only three you heard from her, you could easily and succinctly describe her music using the title of one of the best (and still innovative) albums recorded back in 1973 by The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith: Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash.
But then, it took her another six years and a lot growing up to record and release her official debut album, 2013’s Same Trailer Different Park, and something had clearly deepened in her artistry. It was like you were listening to a completely new artist singing with the same voice. From that point on, from 2015’s Pageant Material up to 2024’s Deeper Well – with Golden Hour from 2018 being her standout album so far – Musgaves has shaped herself as one of the real innovators within the confines of country music. In fact, she actually makes those confines somewhat invisible, as she seamlessly blends elements from other genres -whether it was modern pop or even psych rock.
Not everybody might like what Musgraves has been coming up with – particularly among ‘traditional’ country music circles – but it seems she hasn’t been bothered much by these criticisms (some of which have been mixed with her more liberal political stance). And, with Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves is clearly not attempting to appeal to those people, as she once again plays with the genre with ample sonic and lyrical twists.
On the surface, Middle Of Nowhere might seem and sound like Musgraves retreating back to standard country music formulas, with pedal steel guitar all over the place and a Miranda Lambert duet on “Horses & Divorces” – she even flexes a Willie Nelson feature on “Uncertain, TX”. However, she knows exactly what she’s doing here – instead of simply incorporating other musical elements within country, Musgraves is inverting the process – she’s incorporating country music elements within other musical forms, often searching the best balance between the two.
This is best heard in the opening title track, a softly bopping number where she’s “way past common sense” and also “past the Dairy Queen”, of course. As she sings about being “somewhere in the middle of nowhere”, you can hear her self-possession and determination. “Loneliest Girl” is another highlight, where Musgraves places her finger exactly on that balance she seems to be looking for as the production – particularly on drums and voice – take a more pop-leaning approach, but the guitar and pedal steel remain firmly intact. Lyrically, too, she excels again at presenting personal as something that quite a wide spectrum of listeners can relate to, something that is always one of the hardest elements to get right.
While the album mostly leans into Americana tropes of lonesome hearts and big dreams, there’s also opportunities for Musgraves to show off her true personality and priclivities in a couple of spots. The cheeky single “Dry Spell” might get even those country purists to pay attention as, not only is a damn catchy number, but it has our singer feeling “lonely with a capital H”, desperate for some buck to put his “tool up in her shed” or “truck up in my drive”, if you catch the drift. Later, she combines Nashville glamour with West Coast attitude in the pun-tastic and glistening “Rhinestoned”.
No, with Middle of Nowhere Kacey Musgraves, hasn’t move back to that dusty old place. It’s safe to say she’s riding her own horse and will keep freely picking and choosing whichever roads she wants to take on her musical journey.
