Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
★★★☆☆
Against a folk-tinged backdrop of grounded country songs, Musgraves searches for a deeper well – but doesn’t make too many breakthroughs
For all of star-crossed’s apparent faults (which I struggle to understand because I love that album to bits) – it got one thing right: a clear narrative. By structuring the album in loose form of Greek tragedy, Musgraves’ was able to frame her very ‘matter-of-fact’ writing into a clear order. Even her much-beloved opus Golden Hour feels like it has a very distinguishable Side A and Side B.
That sense of storyline is not as apparent on Deeper Well, where instead the songs feel more like diary entries, presented to us in a non-linear (and non-important) order. To me, this feels like a disservice to the theme of the album if we take the title track as a ‘thesis statement’ for this era of Kacey’s life and music. Though some of the other tracks attempt to support this thesis, the overarching theme of this album is love. While this is not a bad thing (some of my favourite contemporary takes on the subject have stemmed from Musgraves’ pen) it is slightly misleading to title and preface an album about it with a song about finding peace in your own skin – but perhaps these things are not mutually exclusive. Whatever the case, Musgraves doesn’t make much of an effort to make the connection between the two clear.
The one unifying grace, as is often the case with Musgraves’ music, is the sonic world she’s created for this album. Pivoting to a more folk-inspired sound, Musgraves and her production team explore some refreshing arrangements on these tracks. I’ve been particularly enjoy the twangy, mandolin tinges on the opener ‘Cardinal’, as well as the sea-shanty-esque a cappella outro of ‘Sway.’ The breezy strum of ‘Moving Out’ is another highlight, as is the unexpected tonal shift in the second half of ‘Dinner With Friends’. The title track, ‘Deeper Well’, is perhaps still my favourite and is maybe the folkiest cut on here. Musgraves’ vocal production choices (doubled vocals, bits of autotune) do detract from the ‘purity’ of a folk music approach but do help the songs feel like her own.
The song that probably best aligns with my expectations for this album is ‘The Architect’, which sees Musgraves using simple but effective metaphors to ponder ‘the big stuff.’ And while ‘love’ is contemplated in these musings, it is not the sole focus, and therefore it feels a bit closer to that lyrical statement touched on in ‘Deeper Well.’ The biggest shortcoming for me throughout this album is the writing, which, for lack of a better word, can feel quite cliché. ‘Heart of the Woods’ is perhaps the height of this albums trappings of pastiche, devoid of any real songwriting breakthroughs, as is ‘Lonely Millionaire’. Kacey is entitled to speak about her experiences with fame and money, but this message isn’t punctuated by any other revelations and therefore falls a bit flat.
Deeper Well is not a bad album, and perhaps I’m just disappointed that it didn’t live up to my very lofty expectations, which I may have misplaced based on the lead single. Though not as lyrically rich as her previous albums, the serene sound of this album makes it a very enjoyable listen. Perhaps with a little more focus and intention, it could have been stronger. But folk and country shouldn’t be overcomplicated, and perhaps life wouldn’t be either if you found your deeper well.
