Color 3 variant - In retrospect, Golden Hour was a transitional record signaling a commitment to continue toying with the mechanics of Kacey’s songs and not quite the pop pivot that was advertised. Her fifth album, star-crossed, released today, suggests the intention was never to leave country behind but rather to devise a more balanced and varied approach to it. The new songs mix and match ideas with a joyful abandon. “Cherry Blossom” rolls in on a crisp synth-pop groove and twists unexpectedly at the chorus into a driving roots-rock stomp that recalls deliciously zesty late-’80s Fleetwood Mac hits like “Little Lies” and “Everywhere.” On “Simple Times,” Kacey pump-fakes with synths and hip-hop beats that get displaced by acoustic guitars and live drums when the hook lands. The psychedelic-soul grooves of “Good Wife” suggest that collaborating with the Flaming Lips on last year’s trippy “God and the Policeman” left an impact; “Easier Said” sounds like an attempt to nail the washed-out trip-hop of Frank Ocean’s “Nikes.” She can do straightforward pop; the snarling “Breadwinner” is a perfect balance of catchy hooks and spiteful lyrics that sneaks in just enough acoustic instruments to fly on country radio and achieves the same kind of shockingly bubbly airing of grievances the Chicks excelled at on 2020’s Gaslighter. Folk songs like “Angel” and “Hookup Scene” strip away layers as Kacey proves her pen is just as devastating without grand production flourishes as with.
| A1 | Star Crossed |
| A2 | Good Wife |
| A3 | Cherry Blossom |
| A4 | Simple Times |
| A5 | If This Was A Movie.. |
| A6 | Justified |
| A7 | Angel |
| A8 | Breadwinner |
| B1 | Camera Roll |
| B2 | Easier Said |
| B3 | Hookup Scene |
| B4 | Keep Lookin' Up |
| B5 | What Doesn't Kill Me |
| B6 | There Is A Light |
| B7 | Gracias A La Vida |
