Song Review – Kacey Musgraves’ “Family Is Family”
It’s not very often that we talk about an artist who is only 26-years-young and hasn’t even released their second major label album becoming a caricature of themselves already, but that’s the direction it feels we’re going in with Kacey Musgraves. Then again, it’s not very common for us to talk about a mainstream country artist in 2015 that is allowed to release singles featuring steel guitar and lyrics that are meant to be listened to instead of just heard. And that my friends is the continuing dichotomy Kacey Musgraves presents with her latest single called “Family Is Family.”
In a vacuum, “Family Is Family” is a very good song. And it’s a very good country song. It’s arguably even better than Kacey’s recent single “Biscuits.” But here once again we have the same dadgum approach to the lyricism and pentameter, the same campy flavor, and the same general approach instrumentally that makes “Family Is Family” feel like stamped out conveyor belt material as cookie cutter and predictable as the placid suburbia Musgraves looks to bemoan in her music.
Kacey Musgraves has found her niche, and she’s not wavering. When she released “Biscuits,” which was so eerily similar to “Follow Your Arrow” (partly because the two songs were dreamed up in the same writing session), we assured ourselves that it was just one song, and once we hear the full breath of Musgraves’ upcoming album Pageant Material it would exhibit much more variety. And it still very well might. But “Family Is Family” plays right into the concern that Musgraves is reading too much into the critical success of “Merry Go ‘Round” and “Follow Your Arrow,” and has become a one trick pony of quippy one-liners smashed together under a narrow theme window.
Early Musgraves exhibited a lot of variety in approach. She had some songs that sounded like modern era Guy Clark. And it’s not like you can’t make a career out of quippy and campy songs. Just ask Roger Miller. But even Roger knew if you went to the same well too many times, you ran the risk of running dry.
But similarities aside, “Family Is Family” really is pure fun, witty, and most importantly, rooted in truth. One of the reasons Musgraves and her close knit group of co-writers—including “Family” contributors Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne—keep using the same approach is because it works so well. Where “Biscuits” felt a little too thin, and “Follow Your Arrow” maybe a little too preachy, “Family Is Family” gets the balance right. One line after another, “Family Is Family” delivers witty insight that is interwoven on itself to make a fine song that is funny, and refreshing in the current climate.
It’s just the “3rd verse, same as the first” aspect that makes you squirm.
There will be more variety on Kacey’s upcoming album Pageant Material, trust me. At least there better be. But Musgraves runs the risk of not just continuing to avoid the commercial success fit of a major label country music star, but alienating the critical support she’s built for herself if she can’t build some variety into the songs she chooses to feature.
1 1/2 of 2 Guns Up.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:12 am
I will take her over 95% of the other so called country singers today.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:14 am
This site is filled with haters of Kacey.
It’s like she’s FGL or Sam Hunt.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:25 am
Yeah, that’s what really confuses me about people on here. Is she perfect? No. But at least her music holds fairly true to a traditional sound and her lyrics are deeper than the kiddie pool that guys like FGL and Luke Bryan swim in. I get the mantra of just because its better than the crap that’s out today doesn’t mean its good, but its got to start somewhere. I dig her sound, and music, and yeah she can be a bit repetitive but I wouldn’t complain one bit to have her repetitiveness on the radio over what’s currently popular.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:44 am
So the first comment on “this site” was someone with a positive reaction to the song, the second is someone complaining about all the negative reaction to Kacey on this site, and the 3rd is someone agreeing with the fact that there’s such a negative reaction. Something tells me the sentiment on Kacey is a lot more diverse than y’all are characterizing.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:13 am
Don’t get me wrong, I completely realize that the opinions towards her are quite a mixed bag, just see the comments that are already posted below. What I don’t understand is those that completely write her off and then turn around and constantly complain about the current trends. If this was the worst music out there I could understand, but as this site has repeatedly made known, it is far from that.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:28 am
Kind of a hokey yawner. Had higher hopes for the sophomore stuff.
June 12, 2015 @ 6:51 pm
“Hokey Yawner”. I like that and it pretty much describes her entire overrated catalogue.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:33 am
She’s really caught in a trap: her label wants upbeat, and for whatever reason she only delivers upbeat in one kind of way.
Like you said, in the context of an album, a handful of tracks like “Biscuits” and “Family” aren’t too close for comfort because there are plenty of other options. And she’s clearly got wider range””take “Rainbow,” even though it isn’t on the new record. She’s been slotting it into her encores since 2013, and it’s got all the cleverness while nicely breaking up the pacing and flow.
But no hit single, no surprise. It’s almost a shame they even have to try.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:42 am
“Blowing Smoke” was upbeat, and I think it’s a great song. The same snappy, clever lyrics and the rocking, upbeat country production. She’s certainly capable of more than one kind of upbeat song, but this is the safe spot where she drifts to, for whatever reason.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:33 am
I’m sorry-but the only reason she is seemingly getting a pass at doing the same stuff, over and over and over, is that she “sounds” traditional. Listened it this song-if it was to a EDM beat and sung with auto-tune, there would be no end to cries. It is a song of cliques and that’s about it.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:45 am
She’s not getting a pass from me. But you still have to look at each song for it’s individual merit. I see it both ways here, I guess.
June 13, 2015 @ 6:26 am
I actually think this song is pretty bad. I guess I’m just tired iof her delivery and approach to songs.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:33 am
I will definitely give this a listen. She’s not my favorite out there, but will for sure take her over most of what’s popular today. My favorite thing with her still is to this day ” Oh Tonight ” when she sang with Josh Abbott and they’re probably my least favorite of the Texas bands. Have always thought that was a good song though.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:44 am
Yep, that’s a great song. I bought Same Trailer, Different Park and really liked it at first, but I got more meh on it as time went on.
Her one trick’s better than Gretchen Wilson’s. I’ll certainly give her that.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:17 pm
Yes, O Tonight is a great song. Best song she’s been involved with and probably the only Josh Abbot song I like.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:37 am
I have no use for her. I don’t support the revolution, and I generally don’t like people, especially women, who are brash and lack humility.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:54 am
I can only hope this comment is supposed to be ironic, but I’ve got a feeling it’s not.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:58 am
I’m as serious as a kick to the nuts, Rich. No irony here….
June 12, 2015 @ 11:12 am
Okay. What brashness and lack of humility do you see?
June 12, 2015 @ 11:41 am
Have you seen the cover art for Pageant Material? Is that humble? Its very presumptuous, and frankly, impertinent for a 26 year old to tell me how the world works.
June 12, 2015 @ 2:18 pm
What about a picture of a pretty woman in profile wearing a tiara in front a sparkly pageant curtain is “presumptuous,” “impertinent,” or representative of Musgraves trying to tell you how to live your life?
June 12, 2015 @ 11:37 am
Just a stupid comment.
June 12, 2015 @ 5:18 pm
“I have no use for her. I don”™t support the revolution, and I generally don”™t like people, especially women, who are brash and lack humility.” This sounds like a failed attempt at trolling…
So in your moronic society, women only exist to make sandwiches, crap out kids, and wipe your ass?
You are brash and lack humility, among other things.
June 15, 2015 @ 10:11 am
Sounds a bit sexist to me.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:28 pm
She’s brash but she doesn’t lack humility.
Her album is chock full of great country music songs “Good Ole Boys Club” being one of them, a special cover tacked onto the end of “Fine”, second single “Dimestore Cowgirl” and more.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
Oh, you don’t like uppity women?
I can’t wait to hear your hot take on Baltimore!
June 12, 2015 @ 10:40 am
I like this one. But I noticed the striking similarities with this song along with “Follow Your Arrow” “Biscuits” and “Trailer Song.”
Kacey has her niche, but I hope there’s more expansion on the next album.
June 12, 2015 @ 10:47 am
At times, she feels kinda like Dolly to me. She has a little sass to her, and yes she’s campy. That’s the thing with her … that’s who she is. I don’t know what it is that we all want with progressions in music. I mean, I have all of Garth’s records (I know, that means some of you instantly hate me)… but when I listen to the songs, I won’t be able to tell you which album any particular song was on (unless I just happen to know). Garth was Garth…and for 10 years, he did Him better than anyone. He didn’t change a whole hell of a let over the course of those albums, at least not to my naive ear. Chesney went Calypso … was that a good thing? I don’t know…some would say yes. Some would say at least he didn’t get stuck in the 90’s country rut and never leave. Then again, when I tour through Georgia, it seems like people want to hear more Joe Diffie than they do Jason Aldean.
Sorry for the meandering post. I guess my point is … if this is who she is, as an artist… why do we want her to do something else? The conventional wisdom may be “someone needs to do this kind of music”… why can’t it be her?
June 12, 2015 @ 11:18 am
I think there are a few factors at play:
— She hasn’t yet demonstrated a dynamic sound. There’s a difference between lacking progression from album-to-album and lacking variety from song-to-song. People aren’t asking for “progression” in the sense that they want her to completely change things up. They just want to hear some depth to her catalog.
— Her style – the sound and the lyrics – carries a novelty element in today’s climate, and that creates a higher risk of burn.
— As much as many people rip on the state of radio, people still want her to succeed. If Follow Your Arrow couldn’t leverage all its buzz into a radio run, will the more forgettable knock-off version do anything?
Success isn’t how you judge talent – but it’s something we like talented people to achieve. Many are waiting for that Kacey Musgraves song that can be a real radio hit.
— Deep down, I think some people respect the idea of her more than they do her actual music. Releasing more of the same music won’t make those people anymore confident that she can turn her talent and vision into truly great music.
— Thematically, songs like “Follow Your Arrow,” “The Trailer Song” and “Biscuits” seem like underachievements for Musgraves. Merry Go Round is so brilliant – and I think Family is Family is good too – because it really showcases her jaded disillusionment (and the contrast between that and her pretty voice and melodies). I don’t necessarily need someone, especially someone with her talent and perspective, telling me to be happy with whom I am and to mind my own business.
That said, the industry at large is loving her and this album, and there’s talk she could get an Album of the Year Grammy nomination.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
COUNTRY RADIO didn’t play Kacey’s “Follow Your Arrow” because of ‘content references’ including pot and gay stuff.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:49 pm
Yeah, it sold a hell of a lot on iTunes. Shit was a sneaky hit even before it was released as a single.
The industry is the only reason it didn’t blow up.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:51 am
Just bought his CD Produced by Alan Reynolds At Goodwill. It says Ropin’ the Wind. I am not sure that’s the name of it. But the song, Lonesome Dove is awesome. He did a pretty good job singing Papa Loved mama too
June 12, 2015 @ 12:14 pm
I’m also a Garth fan and I have no problem telling people on this site to kiss my ass if they have a problem with it.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:23 pm
I thought Garth exhibited a lot of variety in his sound, regardless of what anyone thinks about his music. You don’t get much different than “The Dance” and “Friends in Low Places.”
June 14, 2015 @ 7:26 pm
And those two singles were released back to back.
This may or may not be slightly off topic, but a few weeks ago I was on a long car ride by myself and listened to an old Bob Kingsley ACC show from the summer of 1994. My God, the variety in country music back then. Everything from twang to country rock to power ballads. Fast songs, slow songs, songs performed by those … uh what were they called … oh, yeah, women. Now everything just sounds like fell out of the same elephant’s asshole.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:05 am
Agree with everything you say in your review Trigger . Everything .
Still rather listen to a REAL song like this than the next 20 that mainstream offers. Smart , funny , honest and unaffected …no fake drawl …nothing in the way of the lyrics , says something clearly and cleverly , no hip or trendy sonics or rhythms for THAT crowd of listeners . Its as country as it comes in these times .Bring it on Kacey….and keep it comin’.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:10 am
The expectations hoisted upon this woman as she is just about to release a sophomore album are a bit much. I hate country radio as much as the next guy and like to bitch and complain about it probably more so than the next guy, but then someone like Musgraves comes along and we all still try to find something to bitch and complain about. I’m speaking generally here, articles I’ve read and comments I’ve seen on Twitter, not just about folks on this site. Sure, “Biscuits” and “Follow Your Arrow” are similar, but the melodies and choruses are different enough and they are both fun to listen to–I love ’em both. Maybe the production is a little vanilla at times, but the banjo and steel guitar is always well-utilized, and every live performance I’ve seen her do on TV has both cranked in the mix, and it sounds incredible. I am glad to have someone with a little popularity actually representing country music well. I don’t mean to rant. I’m just a big fan.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:11 am
I’ll listen to anything that comes out of her mouth. She’s smoking hot, and she likes to make biscuits.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:17 am
A little grease and a little flour
Gives that woman a lot a power
Speaking of Dale… Trigger, is there a review of Call Me Insane on the horizon?
June 12, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
Yes, it was probably the busiest release week all year, and then we had three notable deaths and two other breaking news stories. All plans were washed out by Monday evening, and I could post four more stories right now and still be a week behind. Just keeping my head down and trying to get the next one done.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:18 am
I think Kacey is best listened to on a mix with a lot of other artists in rotation. She has a niche and if you listen to just her over and over, then that niche can get a little old, but if one of her songs come up every 15-20 songs in your rotation, then it isn’t bad.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:26 am
Legs
for
days!
June 12, 2015 @ 11:41 am
She seems to always sing about “they” and “them” — feels judgmental at worst and ironically overly concerned about what others think at best. Just tell us what “you” feel, that’s the kind of lyric most people can relate to…..
June 12, 2015 @ 12:28 pm
Good observation RichK
June 12, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
I think there are so many interesting comments about her here and in past stories about her and sure there are a few crackpotty types but for the most part I get a sense of disappointment or a feeling of being let down a little by her output. And this comes from many people who come at country music from different perspectives whether that be fans of more commercial mainstream stuff or the more independent music types. In theory a large portion of the followers of this site should really be her base and the fact that they often aren’t is indicative of some sort of disconnect.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:49 am
I’m such a fan of this woman. She is so talented. I don’t care if her songs sound the same, she is amazing. Love her songwriting. I hope she and her sound does stay the same. I hope she doesn’t become like all the rest in “country” music right now
June 12, 2015 @ 11:55 am
Too cutesy for my tastes. Musgraves may not realize that “Pageant Material” is not just a clever title but a strict limitation and a destiny. Campy satire of country foibles is ultimately as calculated and formulaic as the pop-country it pretends to lampoon–and about as interesting as a beauty pageant.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:56 am
After seeing Kacey Musgraves in her new Biscuits video, I take back the jabs I gave her about the song and she can sing whatever she wants in that little dress lol. But seriously, I would love to see her become one of the top females in country but I still believe she’s going to have to become a little less one dimensional IF she wants to become that. If she doesn’t want to become that, then I respect her for sticking to the roots and her heart just the same.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
I don’t think Musgraves is yet an album-of-the-year-type artist, but neither do I think she’s a one-trick pony to be dismissed. She’s promising and she seems to be influenced by Loretta and Dolly, which is great in my book. Even if this album is mediocre, I think I’ll still be optimistic that she has her best music ahead of her.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:32 pm
The Grammy Awards and ACM’s disagreed with you. I’m afraid some of that hardware is what has encouraged her to not stray for what has worked.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
Can’t draw water out a dried out well.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
This is better than “Biscuits” (which I considered 1 1/4 Guns Down), but it also reinforces my grave concerns approaching “Pageant Material” and why I’m not excited about it in advance.
The instrumentation is what I enjoy most about this. I like the unique guitar timbre (can’t describe it well, it is definitely Latin-infused) and the infusion of pedal steel gives this an almost tropicana lilt that makes it stand out in this listening climate. It is also much more tighter and energetic than “Biscuits”.
Also, I prefer Musgraves’ voice in lower or more understated registers, and she definitely sounds quite good here and compliments the production. The undulating arpeggios in the chorus, in particular, clicked with me because much like a palm tree in a breeze, they sway well with the melody.
*
However, the glaring weakness continues to be her lyrics and phrasing.
Aside from the chimney/kidney couplet in the chorus……………..nothing really stands out here. Musgraves tends to sing into her sleeve, more than anything, here. She’s obviously a much more talented all-around entertainer than, say, Rodney Atkins……………..but it’s not a good sign when I prefer the lyrics to Rodney Atkin’s non-single “Family” over these. What had made Atkins a seemingly unlikely success story in the first place is that where he lacked in stage presence and vocal range, he nonetheless also had an instinctual grasp for selecting songs that suited his believable everyman persona and sounded genuine and warm and descriptive rolling off his tongue. You could shake your list at Atkins for getting more airplay than his peers with vastly superior vocals and songwriting ability, but at the end of the day it was impossible not to relate to “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows” or “Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)”. Hell, I didn’t like “These Are My People” at first, but looking back, I now totally get why it resonated and respect his energy and charisma there.
The central issue with “Family Is Family” is that her lyrics, while easy to relate to on paper and believable, never really take flight. The song drifts by so fast in its short runtime and, with the way they are just rattled off while my ear is more interested on the tropical-country musical wallpaper…………..leaves me wondering if this was just the wrong kind of arrangement to recite lyrics of this sort over. And by the time the song ends abruptly by the last line, it can’t help but feel…………….incomplete. A little too demo-esque.
*
In the end, I am giving this the reverse of “Biscuits”……………..1 1/4 Guns Up.
But I’m still not excited about “Pageant Material”, if its first two offerings are indicative of the rest of the album. Especially after Musgraves admitted, immediately following the release of “Biscuits”, that she was driving that theme in the song into the ground but still felt it needed to be said.
Because while “Family Is Family” is a thematic departure from that string of songs, stylistically her phrasing and personality and tone remain stuck in a rut.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:33 pm
I actually like her lyrics and phrasing here. But like you said, they’re stuck in a rut, and that’s what weakens this offering.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:43 pm
It’s not the lyrics I was critical of so much as how they fail to take flight in my ears.
They’re just kind of rattled off in a fairly rapid stream and don’t make much of an impression. I listened to the song four times and the only takeaway I got was the chimney/kidney couplet. Otherwise, I couldn’t identify a key lyric takeaway.
That’s a problem in the context of country music. It’s a lyrical genre, and when your lyrics fail to either punch you in the gut, or leave you in a contemplative haze, or at least humor you…………you’re doing something slightly wrong. Now I’ll add that, when I review songs that are obviously much more influenced by rock or pop music, I go by different standards and give greater weight to the melody, tone and overall composition for instance. But because “Family Is Family” is clearly intended as a straight-up contemporary country song, lyrics are going to be more crucial and while they’re just fine on paper, their lack of impactful quality is a central issue.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
Kacey is the best female country singer right now in my opinion. I am not very fond of this track but biscuits is a heater for sure.
She is also an absolute babe.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:21 pm
Hopefully it’s just a matter of the singles being chosen based on what’s worked in the past. I’ll give the album a breeze through when it comes out, but if the first two songs we’ve heard are any indication it won’t get a second listen. She’s done stuff with Trent Dabbs and Josh Abbot that don’t sound like recycled versions of her previous hits. Maybe her “close knit group of co-writers” needs some new blood.
Too bad “John Prine” didn’t make the track listing. I like that song.
https://youtu.be/6A-pRJxCKR8
June 12, 2015 @ 2:32 pm
I kind of agree with your point here. Although it seems I am a much bigger fan of Musgraves than many on this site, I hope she distances herself from her “songwriting circle” a bit in the future; hope she writes with some other folks and writes on her own. It’s similar to how I feel about the Avett Brothers — it’s time to move on from Rick Rubin as producer.
June 13, 2015 @ 9:15 am
Agreed. The Avett Brothers are do for something new too.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
I agree.
I thought “Same Trailer, Different Park” is one of the most overrated albums this decade (I gave it a light 7/10). It was a good album, but it wasn’t a great album and certainly not an “Album of the Year” contender to my ears. And I’m also not excited about “Pageant Material”, to be brutally honest.
But I am sure her best music is ahead of her and she will continue to blossom as an artist. The sooner she ditches the Shane McAnally/Luke Laird/Brandy Clark configuration, the better she’ll be.
June 12, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
Laird and McAnally for sure, but I’d like to see what she could do with Brandy Clark alone.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:35 pm
I realize the following may sound fairly defensive, but I just feel the need to emphasize this.
I’ve been observing quite a few here mostly extolling Kacey Musgraves on her looks. And while I agree she is attractive…………the point I’m making is that I find it somewhat hypocritical that many (not everyone or even a majority of people here, mind you) tend to roll their eyes and scoff at women who say Luke Bryan is sexy and don’t care whatever he sings because he’s hot……………….but when you flip sex roles, you don’t see remotely the same reaction.
If you like Kacey Musgraves primarily because she’s hot, even if you don’t care much about her music, that’s fine. That’s not the issue. But I bring this up because I’ve seen my share of comments in previous discussion threads here as well as Farce The Music and other boards where commenters deride not only Luke Bryan, but the women who only pay attention to him because he’s hot in their eyes and lambaste them…………………and all I’m urging is awareness of this double standard. That’s all.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:53 pm
On that note, don’t you find it strange how many country males can seemingly build their careers off of their bodies or good looks but very few females can.
I think part of the reason this happens is because men can exploit their sexuality more in country music than women can. Men can wear tight t shirts (sleeves optional) and shake their butts on stage (Luke Bryan…) and the audience goes crazy. I think if Carrie Underwood or Kacey Musgraves danced provocatively on stage they would be harshly ridiculed.
This is strangely the opposite of most forms of music, especially pop, where female artists often dress in as little clothing as possible and dance provocatively on TV to create buzz. Think about how Jennifer Lopez sort of boosted her dying music career with “Booty,” a song that wasn’t even played much on radio but the video became a massive hit.
I would wonder how a female artist that did promote herself with her body and sexuality would do if promoted in this radio environment.
As a side note, I listen to music because I like it, I don’t care what the artist looks like.
June 12, 2015 @ 7:23 pm
I don’t know Faith Hill and Shania Twain became country music super stars on what had to be their looks. Cause I gotta tell you…
June 14, 2015 @ 12:01 am
You know, I would like to see Kacey take on bro country, head on. I’d like to hear a female version of “Murder On Music Row”. Better yet I’d like her to call out the bros as undiplomatically as possible. Perhaps a song titled “Cool Hand Luke” mocking country’s Sexy Guy. Maybe that’s asking too much, but mainstream country has gotten so ridiculous that I think it’s time for someone to state the obvious.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:45 pm
Sorry – I really want to like her, but the more I hear and see her perform, the more unimpressed I become.
June 13, 2015 @ 7:09 am
I feel rhe same way. I am sorry. I love her voice, but after listening to her music, l still have not purchase her music. True, you listen to a song like FIF and say to yourself, how true. Nice song to have on an album and even to share with a family member, if the the need be, but not one I need to hear more than one or two x. She need to figure out how to give us depth and entertainment us at the same time.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:50 pm
Noah,
Two excellent posts. Thanks for saying those things. As for Musgraves’ actual music, I’m in your camp. While the first album was a decent listen, it sounded to me like she wanted to be as much for the kids (country radio listeners) as adults. There was a disposibilty to it. Since I’ve always considered country music to be adult music, I was on the fence and didn’t listen to it much. It’s okay if she wants to play ball with radio. In terms of making a living, I can’t say I blame her. But some of us want more from the music we purchase and listen to. Musgraves may ultimately attract a large audience. I’m just not sure if I will be among them. That’s okay, though, as there are plenty of other records and artists to listen to and support.
June 12, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
Everyone’s gotta eat. I completely understand why part of her is trying to get radio exposure, and I highly respect her in that she isn’t bending over backwards trying to appease every element of Music Row in making that happen.
The main issue I had with “Same Trailer, Different Park” was that it sounded too safe and familiar once you reached the halfway point onward. And when you’re relying on a narrow field of collaborators that, for the most part, highly represent Music Row’s status quo (Shane McAnally, Luke Laird most notably), what would you expect otherwise? I give props to both Laird and McAnally for giving her enough space to do her thing, but it stands to reason that while she may have had plenty of creative control, relying on this set of collaborators over an entire album is going to influence your output………………and I couldn’t help but feel a little bored and underwhelmed by the end with how tepid and interchangeable a number of tracks were.
It’s not to say Kacey Musgraves herself is entirely free of criticism. I personally thought tracks like “Stupid” and “Step Off” smacked as juvenile and only made sense for inclusion in the context of the track listing because the immature edge kind of compensated for their lack of pulse.
With me, I don’t own the album and also don’t stream it in its entirety now. Instead, I have “Merry Go ‘Round” (still a damn amazing debut single), “It Is What It Is”, “Back on the Map” and “Dandelion” saved in my collection along with “The Trailer Song”…………….while the other tracks I can live without but aren’t bad all the same.
June 12, 2015 @ 2:37 pm
I don’t hate the tracks (actually I find them mildly enjoyable), and am pretty apathetic most of the time about Taylor Swift, but “Stupid” and “Step Off” definitely sounded like they could have come from one of Swift’s early albums.
June 12, 2015 @ 1:00 pm
At this point to me – someone who isn’t a fan of hers – it seems to me like she just keeps releasing the same song over and over. She’s like Brad Paisley on steroids, except Brad Paisley at least varied the theme and tone on his novelty songs. Novelty/humor songs are fine, but if that’s all she’s going to release I’m going to tune out.
June 12, 2015 @ 1:38 pm
I find it interesting that people love Brandy Clark with her own albums but hate about everything she writes with/for others. Not this particular song but others like Biscuts which according to Kacey was much of Brandy’s doing.
June 12, 2015 @ 9:28 pm
It’s definitely exaggerating it to claim I hate her output beyond her work as a lead artist.
I just think it’s holding Kacey back to rely on her tirelessly. Now don’t get me wrong: even the most decorated performers like George Strait have relied on the same true-and-trusted songwriters for spans of their recording career. Hell, Elton John and Bernie Taupin still know how to write standout cuts here and there. But when you’re not producing some fresh perspective, a change needs to be made. At least turning to different songwriters on a minimum of two thirds of the tracks.
But I did much enjoy Brandy Clark’s debut album (better than “Same Trailer Different Park”, at that) and, much like Chris Stapleton, I accept sometimes their output as collaborative songwriters isn’t going to stick the landing as often.
June 12, 2015 @ 2:49 pm
i agree her music is kinda samey, but i think she gets too much crap for it. in my collection i have lots of albums by porter wagoner, george jones, tammy wynette etc. which are basically identical to the albums before and after them and they’re all good artists
June 12, 2015 @ 4:45 pm
I really like Kacey Musgraves she is a good singer I like all song except “merry go-round”.
June 12, 2015 @ 7:16 pm
I don’t think that a lot of the legendary heroes of the genre were constantly reinventing themselves
June 12, 2015 @ 8:51 pm
Trigger, it seems Kacey knows her music sounds alike and is hinting at changing it up in the latest Rolling Stone article. Not sure if the last line was intended as a joke or not.
‘Musgraves is already thinking about her next album. “The next one will be completely different,” she says, “because I don’t think this one is very far off from Different Trailer. “I would really like to write to a concept next time. I’d really like to do a reggae record, or a surf-rock record.”‘
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/unbreakable-kacey-musgraves-nashvilles-poppiest-rebel-walks-the-line-20150609#ixzz3cuW9bpmy
June 12, 2015 @ 9:34 pm
She sees it.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:11 pm
It sounds pretty much exactly the same as all her other songs. I know a lot of folks on this site really like her but I just can’t get excited about her music. She’s talented but all her songs are so similar musically and lyrically. I can’t tell whether she’s simply not very creative or if her label, producers, etc. are pushing her to keep doing essentially the same thing over and over. I’ll keep listening to her music as it comes out but I’ll spend most of my time listening to other artists who are much better.
On a totally unrelated note, one of the local country stations in my area has been playing Traveller by Chris Stapleton the last few days. 95% of the time they just play the same Top 20 or 40 or whatever and very occasionally throw in a Texas country song, but I wasn’t expecting to ever hear Chris Stapleton on mainstream radio. It gives me some hope though. At least some people will hear him who otherwise wouldn’t.
June 13, 2015 @ 4:49 am
I loved her self titled album from 2007, some good stuff on there like Halfway to Memphis but these days it’s all a bit same old, quirky stuff.
June 13, 2015 @ 5:33 am
Looks like I’m not the only LG who posts here ☺. As far as Kacey goes, I’m a fan, but I almost put her in the same category as Old Crow Medicine Show. She’s traditionalist, but more than a little bit kitschy. She has serious songwriting chops, but often goes for novelty-song, lightweight territory. And like OCMS, she has just the slightest indie rock sensibility (they love her over at Pitchfork).
June 13, 2015 @ 6:59 am
I’m not surprised that the songs released prior to the album release are similar to her previous stuff. For the general music listener who likes Kacey Musgraves hearing similar sounding songs is probably seen as a good thing and will get them interested in the new music.
I don’t expect that whole album to be so similar, but for now I can enjoy the songs released. They are still solid songs, but I do have higher expectations of the rest of the songs to really branch out. We will see.
June 13, 2015 @ 7:11 am
“Biscuits” has grown on me and the video for the song was well done. This song I’m not as high on, it just feels a bit boring. That said I am still excited for her new album and hopefully the good Shane Macanally comes out since that guys involvement with Sam Hunt, Jake Owen, etc. has sucked pretty hard and what little respect I had more him as a songwriter is pretty much gone.
June 13, 2015 @ 7:13 am
Apparently Kacey Musgraves said during her Bonnaroo set about her song “Biscuits”:
“They just pulled that one off the fucking radio”¦ whatever that means. Maybe they don”™t like biscuits.”
June 13, 2015 @ 9:36 am
I just read that. They pulled it bc it’s just not good. She can do better.
I hope billboard does a live review of sturgill tonight. We won’t say much. He just plays so no nuggets like that will come out from him.
She needs to just try to write something different but the same but new.. That stuff lol
June 13, 2015 @ 10:47 am
Again, I feel it necessary to remind people that Kacey Musgraves is 26 years old. There’s a lot of life left to go for her, a lot of songwriting lessons to learn (actually, writing lessons in general). She won’t release anything outstanding for probably another 10 years. Considering her age, her music is excellent. I don’t buy it because I don’t really like it all that much, and while I agree with her stance on equality, her delivery won’t change anything. You can’t change anything by telling dumb people that they’re dumb, even if they are really fucking dumb (even if she’s 100% correct, in this case). Her method isn’t going to change to anything, and that’s really too bad.
June 13, 2015 @ 11:01 am
The sentiment from “biscuits” to “family is family” to “Cup of Tea” to “Follow Your Arrow” is very much the same… That said I like her music and am excited for the record.. I agree with the commenters that legends like Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones and Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings all had a lot of songs that sounded samey.. to me the issue is more that sentiments are all fairly simple and the same and that needs to change.
June 13, 2015 @ 1:15 pm
Wish people paid this much attention to Lindi Ortega.
June 13, 2015 @ 1:31 pm
This.
June 21, 2015 @ 1:08 pm
You win. Lindi is what everyone wishes Kacey was. I just don’t get why folks ignore her. Her voice is unmatched today.
June 21, 2015 @ 1:11 pm
Eh, Lindi gets plenty of attention on this site.
Which makes sense, because she’s really, really fucking good.
June 14, 2015 @ 4:27 pm
The whole album just leaked. The audio is posted on YouTube. Don’t want to get this site into trouble so I won’t post the link.
I want to like her, but I’m not feeling the vocal delivery. The campy, kitschy, novelty feel gets old after a while.
June 14, 2015 @ 7:13 pm
I think you nailed it on the review. So far Merry Go Round is the only thing I’ve liked from Kacey. I think their is just an air about her persona that keeps me from rooting for her. I also think her songwriting, just like Shane McAnally’s is very formulaic. I think she’s trying way too hard to be clever and it just feels fake.
June 15, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
I would like to point out that I am a fan of ms. Musgraves, and overall she has the potential to be a great artist, but I feel she’s playing the same thing over and over from the same angle, when she put out biscuits, I thought yeah its like follow your arrow with different words, this seems more of the same, I would like her to put out more real songs with emotion, dandelion, and keep it to yourself, as well as back on the map, were great, and I think she should be putting songs like those out as singles, if she doesn’t I think she should at least make it sound different than what she’s released before and not just that song with different lyrics.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:43 pm
I agree, as much as I want Kacey to succeed, her song selection is mediocre and I think her marketing strategy (or lack of one?) is working against her.
On the other hand, I don’t like Maddie and Tae, but I gotta say their marketing is pretty good. They started out with the feminist “Girl In A Country Song”, then they smartly backed away from pushing the girl power theme too hard, and released the sugary sweet single “Fly” which sounds like it could have come from T-Swift’s first album. They seem well positioned to pick up some of the young female country fans Taylor left behind. Basically my point is that they seem to have a clear positioning commercially, while Kacey and her label seem to be struggling to figure out how to position her. Maybe it’s just Borchetta’s business savvy showing through.
June 16, 2015 @ 12:47 am
It also helps that Maddie and Tae have a fun, light-hearted personality, as opposed to Kacey’s more serious demeanor. This allowed a song like “Girl In A Country Song” to come off as gentle jabbing rather than a harsh slam.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:17 pm
Ah, I love Maddie and Tae. Smoke needs to come out pronto.
June 16, 2015 @ 9:27 pm
That’s a good point. I thought “Girl In A Country Song” was stylistically reminiscent of “Any Man of Mine”, and stays comfortably within the confines of the faux feminism of Shania Twain and Taylor Swift.
I suppose Maddie and Tae have not forgotten that female success in mainstream country is mostly about becoming “America’s sweethearts”. The brand of America’s sweetheart conveys huge popularity, special treatment from the press and the public, and forgiveness for a multitude of artistic sins and shortcomings. An artist could be America’s sweetheart and record one tongue in cheek feminist song. However she cannot be America’s sweetheart if she releases several feminist radio singles in a row. So Maddie and Tae are playing within the system, not fighting the system. I’d take them with a grain of salt.
June 16, 2015 @ 9:36 pm
I am not certain if Maddie and Tae’s personality is calculated or genuine, though it seems genuine. Nonetheless, I view the ability to convey a strong message while maintaining a laid-back demeanor as a major positive in general, regardless of the genre.
June 16, 2015 @ 6:19 am
So I’m admittedly a big fan of Kacey… I like the sound an point of view she has carved out for herself and wouldn’t want her to change or do something totally different… her particular sound is part of the reason I fell in love with her as an artist. That being said I do think a little variety lyrically would go a long way.
I don’t know if anyone else on here pre-ordered the new album but in addition to Family is Family I also got an early download this morning of Dimestore Cowgirl. It has “single” written all over it to me and I can’t find any particular lines in it that would alienate her from country radio like Follow Your Arrow. It’s her same sound but the lyrics are different….More autobiographical. Not political or preachy as some find her. I dig it. 🙂
June 16, 2015 @ 10:48 am
I’ve heard the whole record (it is out there) and it is much much better than the singles. I think it is even better than her first record. The production is great too.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:37 pm
Those who think she’s in a rut aren’t really gonna like the album then. At least sonically. Still, I think it’s a brilliantly written/produced album. The title track does have a bit of a “Flowers on the Wall” meets Nancy Sinatra or Karen Carpenter vibe to it though. The record does have variety even if she has a few “soapbox moments” on it.
The next single is not this song. That song is “Dime Store Cowgirl”
June 16, 2015 @ 11:20 pm
If it’s closer to “Dime Store Cowgirl” than “Biscuits” as a whole, I may very well turn out preferring her new album over “Same Trailer Different Park” (I’ve stated I consider that one of the most overrated albums this decade so far despite still giving it a respectable slight 7/10).
Sonically, I expect this album to be similar because, after all, Luke Laird is the producer once again. Even so, there were a few moments on “Same Trailer Different Park” I’ve enjoyed a great deal that are still in my music collection: which are “Merry Go ‘Round”, “It Is What It Is”, “Back On The Map”, “Dandelion” and the outtake “The Trailer Song”.
June 17, 2015 @ 7:48 am
Noah,
It’s more of a 60s-inspired production aesthetic this time so it’s not the same as the last one.
June 16, 2015 @ 11:14 pm
As Matt B. just said, “Dime Store Cowgirl” is indeed the second single.
*
I have to say that, after a somewhat disappointing lead single and a slightly-above-but-still-underwhelming deeper cut……………”Dime Store Cowgirl” is more like it.
Firstly, I absolutely appreciate that Kacey Musgraves is striving for more positive themes with this new single. Where “Merry Go ‘Round” was a fantastic radio debut that dwelt on the dark side of small town realism and ennui, “Dime Store Cowgirl” is a decidedly more positive, nostalgic flip-side of that coin that more fondly reflects on the carefree, sweet naivete that comes with chasing dreams early on.
This just comes across as endearing and authentic to my ears altogether. Musgraves’ vocals sound as sweet and mellifluous as ever here, which only further compliments the theme and pleasant, sunny-sky production. And lyrically, it offers some compelling imagery from the ghost of Gram Parsons to low desert cacti to the white cliffs of Dover…………….but all the same doesn’t forget to keep it simple like the best of music of this genre is composed.
If this is more indicative of “Pageant Material” than “Biscuits” and “Family Is Family” are, then I may turn out preferring her new album over “Same Trailer Different Park”.
I’m giving Two Guns Up to “Dime Store Cowgirl”.
*
June 21, 2015 @ 11:00 am
“becoming a caricature of themselves already, but that”™s the direction it feels we”™re going in”…..yep. The cutsey cowgirl clothes are turning her into a kewpie doll. It’s sad but it seems like she’s been terribly over-managed and not in a good way.
She needs to take the reins back and ditch her PR team.