Kacey Musgraves : Middle of Nowhere
Middle of Nowhere is located at the three-way intersection of Country music’s past, present, and future. Kacey Musgraves’ aptly titled seventh major label LP, and first for Lost Highway, is a sprawling journey of self-discovery. Throughout the album’s 13 songs, it’s evident that even while abiding in “Uncertain, TX”, her boots are planted firmly on solid musical ground, with deep roots running through the red dirt of the Lone Star State.
With the title track, Musgraves opens the album with a pontification on finding peace in the simplicity of rural life. As such, it fittingly begins with acoustic guitar accompanying Musgraves’ ethereal vocals, but the ensemble soon joins in, guiding the listener back and forth between a straight eighth note groove and a waltz, reminiscent of Buck Owens’ classic “Before You Go.” “Dry Spell,” meanwhile, turns its attention to the downsides of isolation, declaring that the narrator is “lonely with a capital H.” This double entendre-laden track is rooted in a canon of raucous blues tunes by women like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, who found humorous and creative ways to express the most primal of human needs. It’s likewise a musical standout, with lead guitar tones akin to those employed by instrumental funk phenoms Khruangbin.
“Back on the Wagon” chronicles the perils of being in a relationship with an alcoholic. Despite the narrator’s awareness of her partner’s addiction, she’s cautiously optimistic that things will finally be different this time. As is the case with many country songs in this vein, however, the musical components of the composition offer levity, and the churning steel guitar throughout feels like a storm brewing on the horizon. “I Believe in Ghosts” isn’t a single but certainly has the hooks and production for it, a testament to the skills behind the board of Musgraves’ longtime production collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. She carries that pop groove over to “Abilene,” with an added banjo that reminds listeners that this is still very much a country record.
Musgraves delves further into the fragility of romantic relationships, as examined in “Ghosts,” on “Coyote,” which features a haunting vocal cameo by Gregory Alan Isakov shadowing Musgraves one octave down. It creates the feeling of two estranged lovers both thinking the same thoughts, completely oblivious that they’re in the same boat. Yet gone is the lover sung of in “Coyote” in “Loneliest Girl in the World,” a song in the tradition of George Jones classics like “She Thinks I Still Care.” Musgraves claims she’s “happy to be the loneliest girl in the world,” but such a claim is telling in itself.
The ninth track of Middle of Nowhere should prove particularly appealing for country fans aware of the feud between Musgraves and Miranda Lambert over the years. “Horses and Divorces,” featuring guest vocals from Lambert, pokes fun at the silliness of it all while referencing Golden Hour single “High Horse,” rumored to be about Lambert, and “Mama’s Broken Heart,” which was penned by Musgraves and became a hit for Miranda. The song oozes with the mojo of the Waylon and Willie records of the 1970s, and in fact makes reference to the two country queens’ mutual love of Nelson—who, himself, appears on the next track, “Uncertain, TX”, which bookends nicely with “Horses,” maintaining its Tex Mex vibe through the use of accordion. He doesn’t, however, appear on “Rhinestoned,” a signature Musgraves ode to cannabis.
The album’s penultimate track, “Mexico Honey,” is the thematic outlier here, simply a love song with no hints of tragedy to come. Yet that contentment is short-lived, as Middle of Nowhere transitions toward a darker conclusion with “Hell on Me,” ending the album on a heartwrenching note. In its chronicles of loneliness, buried hatchets, broken bottles and broken hearts, Middle of Nowhere stands up to the best of Musgraves’ previous output.
Label: Lost Highway
Year: 2026
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Kacey Musgraves : Middle of Nowhere
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