Photo courtesy of Americansongwriter.com
With
6 CMA nominations and the award for “New Artist of the Year”, Kacey Musgraves
has established her place as country music’s newest “It” girl. The 25-year-old
singer-songwriter could have entered into the country music scene much sooner
than she did. Her stint on Nashville Star gained her some recognition, and
brought her to Nashville where she actively pursued a songwriting career. When
asked why she didn’t immediately dive into recording deals with well known
producers, Musgraves replied “If you only get one shot to say something, it
better be exactly what you want to say”. Musgraves knew that she had important
things to say, but wanted to have a clear vision of who she was as an artist
before the music industry tried to change her.
As
this decision reflects, Musgraves is wise beyond her years. Her maturity is
made evident in her music. While Musgraves has a clear, unaffected and sweet
voice it is nothing outstanding, nor are her melodies. What separate her from
the rest of country music are her eloquent and poignant lyrics. Every line in
her song is artfully constructed and not a single word is chosen carelessly.
She uses word play, metaphors and irony to engage her listeners and keep them
coming back for more.
It
is tempting to compare Musgraves to Taylor Swift with their similar ages and
flawless songwriting, but the two have very different music styles. Where Swift
has pop-influences and powerful melodies, Musgraves is undeniably country and
has simpler melodies, which allow for her outstanding lyrics to take center
stage. Her style is comparable to that of a modern Dolly Parton or Loretta
Lynn. In Musgraves’ debut album Same
Trailer Different Park the songs are on the slower side with uncomplicated,
laid back melodies. If you are looking for an up beat, feel good album this one
is not for you. It is much more melancholy and centers around themes such as
heartbreak, and the realities of everyday life. If someone less talented and
less mature than she attempted to write the same songs they would easily fall
into the cutesy/juvenile junk pile. But it is the maturity and honesty within
her songs that causes them to resonate so strongly with listeners. Kacey
Musgraves has an extraordinary way with words, which allows for her unique
talent to stand apart from an industry where so many songs sound exactly the
same.
photo courtesy of seatgeek.com
The following is a song-by-song review of Kacey Musgraves debut album Same Trailer Different Park, which was
released March 19th of this year:
1)
Silver
Lining
“If
you wanna fill your bottle up with lightning, you’re gonna have to stand in the
rain”
This song sets the tone for
the rest of the record perfectly. The melody is simple and while the song is
not a ballad it is slow moving. “Silver Lining” is an easy and natural fit with
Musgraves’ unaffected and pure voice. This song is our first indication of
Musgraves’ affinity for songwriting and is filled with clever metaphors. The
meaning behind the song is an important lesson for everyone to understand: in
order to enjoy the good times you have to battle through the bad.
2)
My
House
“So
come on hitch your wagon to the living room I'm draggin'. If I can't bring you
to my house I'll bring my house to you”
From the first measure of harmonica,
guitar and tambourine it is clear that this song is country. It is a
light-hearted song, centering on the idea that if home is where the heart is,
it doesn’t matter if that house is high on a hill or on four wheels. If the
lyrics weren’t so clever and well done, the song could risk being too cutesy.
But Musgraves’ words paint a fun picture, which might change many listeners’
minds about the stigma of living in a mobile home.
3)
Merry
Go ‘Round
“Mary,
Mary, quite contrary. We're so bored until we're buried. Just like dust, we
settle in this town.”
This is the song that introduced us to
Kacey Musgraves. After listening to her album it is clear why it was chosen as
the debut song. It is a great representation of Musgraves as an artist and of
her talent. There is less word play and clever lyrics in this song when it is compared
with her other songs. But her ingenious twist on a well-known nursery rhyme is
enough to hook the listener. Once again this song has a very simple melody and
is by no means fast paced, allowing for us to drink in every word and soak up
the full meaning of the incredibly poignant song. It is an honest commentary on
the complexities of life.
4)
Dandelion
“And
like a stupid little girl, I spent my wishes on a weed thinking it could change
my world”
This song is an interesting take on the
common practice of wishing on inanimate objects. She is disappointed in the dandelion
because her wish hadn’t come true. It is never outwardly stated what the wish
was, only that it has left her crying like “he did”. It is a melancholy song
whose melody is so simple and pretty is sounds as if it has been taken from a
music box. While, once again, Musgraves’ lyrics are impressive this is my least
favorite song on her album. The dragged out “dan-de-lion” of the chorus is
off-putting and seems forced.
5)
Blowin’
Smoke
“Light
one up and count my cash. Swear I'm never coming back again, I'm just blowin'
smoke”
If “Tough Girl” country isn’t a subgenre
of country music, it should be. There are a growing number of songs about women
who take no crap, and refuse to get run over by men and jobs. This song would
definitely classify as “tough girl” country and sounds similar to songs from
Miranda Lambert and the Pistol Annies. It is a working girl’s anthem with a
simple but gritty and infectious melody. Once again Musgraves uses a play on
words. “Blowin’ smoke” has two meanings. It refers to literally exhaling
cigarette smoke, and figuratively refers to lying. The breakdown at the
bridge is the best part of the song and gives it its anthem-like feel.
“Blowin’ Smoke” is different from anything that Musgraves has done up to this point.
6)
I
Miss You
“Been
kissed by Lady Luck, the stars are all lined up, every arrow that I aim is true
but I miss you.”
The sixth track on the album has a dream
like quality and sounds like a countrified Beach Boys song. It has a sweet
sadness and is in keeping with the honest and melancholy theme of Same Trailer Different Park. This song
focuses on the fact that despite all the blessings one may have, when you don’t
have someone to share them with it feels as if a piece of you is missing.
7)
Step
Off
“Just
keep climbing that mountain of dirty tricks. When you finally get to the top,
step off, yeah”
“Step Off” is about interacting and
dealing with negative people. The song isn’t necessarily about revenge but more
about karma, and what will happen to someone when they reach the “top” and find
they have no one else around them. Musgraves’ clever lyricism continues in this
song, by not only telling someone to “step off” metaphorically, but also
telling them to literally step off this mountain of negativity they have built
around them. Not surprisingly, the song is slow but the banjo and guitar give
it a happier, up beat feel.
8)
Back
On the Map
“All
this off the grid is getting old and my compass says I'm getting close. But I
don't know, it's hard to read so I'll just keep moving”
This song is the only song on the album
where Musgraves even remotely sounds like Taylor Swift. The stronger drum
presence and more up beat melody give the song a slight pop feel. It is not
hard to imagine this song playing on all sorts of radio, not just country
stations. This pop influence is the only relation that Swift and Musgraves
share. “Back On the Map” is honest and extremely relatable. It is about feeling
lost, not knowing how you ended up where you are now, and hoping that someday
soon you will get back “on the map” or back to yourself.
9)
Keep
It to Yourself
“If
you think that you still love me, put it on a shelf. If you're looking for
someone make it someone else”
Musgraves has such a knack for writing
honest and relatable songs. This song is about the pain that comes with a
breakup and the conflict of wanting to talk to that person but knowing you
shouldn’t. This isn’t a topic that is covered in many songs, but it is an
extremely common emotion for many going through a break up. While this song is
by no means up beat, it is faster paced than many of her others. “Keep It to
Yourself” is written flawlessly and is my personal favorite song on the album.
10) Stupid
“I
drink to feel, I smoke to breathe, just look at what loves done to me”
“Stupid” is a fun song to
listen to with a deconstructed, grittier melody. It is one of
Musgraves’ more intriguing and involved melodies. There is more to this song
than just her clever lyrics. Don’t get me wrong though, her lyrics and the
story still take center stage. Musgraves perfectly depicts the havoc that love
can wreak on one’s life. Feeling stupid is a concept known to almost
anyone who has had the pleasure and pain of being in love.
11) Follow Your Arrow
“You're
damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. So you might as well just do
whatever you want”
This song had become increasingly popular
on the radio this past summer and fall, but it gained its infamy during the
2013 CMA Awards when it was thoroughly censored. While this song may sound
country, the lyrics deal with issues that much of country music has neglected.
Nevertheless, Musgraves deals with these issues in a fun, light-hearted way.
Life is all about being who you are, because it’s too short not to make
yourself happy. “Follow Your Arrow” has everything that a good country song
should have: it’s fun to listen to and contains a great meaning behind it.
12) It Is What It Is
“Maybe
I love you, maybe I'm just kind of bored, it is what it is. Till it ain't,
anymore”
The final song on the album is the
perfect wrap to Same Trailer Different
Park. It is once again a simple, country song with a melancholy tone and
brings the album full circle. Musgraves has said that Willie Nelson’s “Can I
Sleep In Your Arms” inspired this song, and although “It Is What It Is’ is
faster paced than Nelson's song, you can certainly hear the influence. This song serves as a
reminder that you cannot control everything and you need to live in the moment,
because soon enough the moment will change.
photo courtesy of NPR
In this day
and age beautifully crafting lyrics is something that is falling to the
wayside. Why put effort into lyrics when you can just cover bad ones up with a
heavy bass and electronic beats? Kacey Musgraves is bringing this art back to
the forefront of the music industry. Some may listen to Same Trailer Different Park and say that it is too simple, and
possibly boring but they would be missing the entire point of the album. It is
easy to make a song so thick with dance music that you can’t discern any
meaning whatsoever. It is infinitely harder to create a song with merely
lyrics, guitar and drums. Musgraves’ songs may be simple, but they are
wonderful. Without the simple melodies we would not be able to appreciate the beauty
of her lyrics and that is where the true artistry lies. Do not listen to Same Trailer Different Park if you are
in the mood for a happy-go-lucky album. Listen to it when you are in need of a
friend and for someone to understand you. Musgraves’ lyrics will fill your head
and your heart with so much honesty and wisdom that they will become the best
friend you never had.
