Kacey Musgraves 'Middle of Nowhere' (Review)

Younger country singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves is back with a new album guiding herself through life. Her 7th album Middle of Nowhere came out May 1st, combining songwriters she's worked on her past albums playing country, folk, and alternative. Collectively, the record fits in her discography with guest vocalists and Tejano instrumentation. I give my track-by-track review as a dedicated fan.

Interviews: NPR, Apple Music, CBS Sunday Morning

star-crossed visual film (2021)

Vote your fav Kacey album here.

ACMs performance: "Dry Spell"

YouTube album channel

"Mama's Broken Heart" - Miranda Lambert (2013)

Gregory Alan Isakov

Willie Nelson

Episode Recaps: Deeper Well - album review, The Tortured Poets Department  (Music Notes with Jess)

Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" / 'Dandelion', Megan Moroney's 'Cloud 9',
Noah Kahan's "The Great Divide"/ album

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Theme Song: "Gym Track (2026 Remix)", composed by Jessica Ann Catena

Transcript

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Welcome to Music Media Review, a weekly podcast critiquing modern music and media headlines. I'm Jess. A current album I picked out comes from one of my favorite singers who expresses their unfiltered mind in country music. Adding to her folk repertoire, Casey Musgrave's released middle of nowhere on May 1st. Since 2013's debut album, same trailer, different parts, she's notated life moments from people she knows, courageously pushes the envelope, bringing up complicated matters, all for the sake in finding herself. I took a liking to her right away, learning songs from CMT and the country radio station I worked at. She skillfully writes so simple you can't help laugh and agree exactly what's being said. This episode, I'm gonna examine middle of nowhere's perception within her discography, then outline track by track. Hop along the adventure on Music Media Review. Expanded bonus tracks promoted Record Store Day Black Friday, November 27th. Self-Journey was the concept healthily coping divorce, a breakup, and independence. While 2018's Golden Hours Wisdom brought awards, it resulted a short-lived marriage to Americana artist Rustin Kelly. The failure crafted Starcross 2021 visual film resorting to deeper wills nature acoustic folk. Casey vacationed in Iceland for the title track's music video, The In-Between Windy Shots were worth it. If you recall how Taylor Swift disclosed the tortured poets department published as she and Joe Allen broke up, fans learned after that Casey dealt the same thing when Deeper Well was done. Poet Cole Schaefer dated during Starcross to Deeper Well's transition, maturely Casey didn't mind the downtime or freedom. The normal scene musicians are thriving single is astonishing. Relationships used to be centered. Now it's considered an optional goal depending on luck and interest. Exactly spelled out, middle of nowhere signified Casey Musgrave's current status. Visiting her hometown Golden, Texas, a sign captured the future album title to rethink something important. As much as she enjoyed isolation, loneliness stung a little. Not having anyone to pass time away got too real, causing her to reflect too much about things that didn't work out. Turning to music and therapy, Casey prepared her next songwriting era. Looking up Middle of Nowhere citations, I like the tracklist collaborators list. Country songwriters Shane McInally, Luke Leard, and Josh Osborne assisted more than Deeper Well's project, and I think balanced out seriousness with syncopated tempos. Except Starcross, those three gentlemen worked on Casey's album Supporting Ideas. Daniel Toshian and Ian Fitchuk partnered Golden Hour to present. I never imagined hearing Casey Musgraves playing an alternative radio and at MTV's VMAs. Starcross definitely set a big precedent for shadowing 2020's modern folk movement. Daniel Toshian occasionally harmonizes on tracks he co-wrote with Ian and Casey, which is a plus playing beside her to compose off one another. They should make an official duet, pairing great together. Sticking to the Texas music themes happening in modern country, Tahano instrumentation is incorporated through middle of nowhere, blending country blues and Latin guitar riffs. That golden sign flushed Casey's process in reading people's body language. I've read fans feeling nostalgic to 2015's pageant material and Starcross locale lyric themes. I second comparing to pageant materials Late to the Party, This Town, Biscuits, Family is Family, and singles from same trailer different park. Merrick Around, My Favorite, Blowin' Smoke, and Follow Your Arrow. All 13 middle of nowhere tracks are written first person and produced much louder. Suiting personal emotions, post golden hour, tone down mellow rhythms. We all needed to be uplifted and there's other vocalists who join in. Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, Miranda Lambert, and South African folk artist Gregory Alan Izakoff. Let's saddle over to the selections. Kelly Suttons captured every Casey Musgrave's portrait. Starcross displayed a broken heart locket. Middle of Nowhere's Tattle Track wasn't the first promo single out. The one that was has left awkward ooze and ahs and buzzworthy chatter over its middle of nowhere context. We've had Lonely Weekend off Golden Hour, Christmas Makes Me Cry on 2016's A Very Casey Christmas, Lonely Millionaire from Deeper Well, Track 7's Loneliest Girl Lightly Moves On Middle of Nowhere, but Track 2's Dry Spell bluntly goes dirty. I'm so lonely, lonely with a capital H, if you know what I mean. I've been sitting on the washing machine. Casey recites a double entendre laundry list, desiring an almost year length without sex. I could just tell DJ's blushing dry spells on ear mentions. It's taboo societally, let alone by Casey Musgraves. To be honest, I waited to talk about it myself here observing the reactions. CNT and MTV Live have rotated the music video daily as country and alternative radio are spinning up. I didn't know what else Casey had in store to follow this. Dry spell supermarket setting in the video took higher risks gesturing sex on the brain in every aisle. Correspondent Anthony Mason casually questioned Casey's recent status on CBS Sunday morning. Even she shyly replied, the spell has been broken. My evaluation's on the fence still. Part of me understands she poked fun the predicament, other half feels it was a public way to address not rushing into big commitments. I like the rhythm guitar's low bluesy strumming and Latin riffs in the background like a telenovela. Dry spell has charted number 55 on the Hop 100, Country Airplay, Number 21 Digital Songs, Number 18 Country Streaming, No. 15 Hot Country Songs, Number 9 Country Digital, and No. 6 Adult Alternative. Track 12's Mexican Honey flirts a faster tempo calling the shots. Counting down the release date, Middle of Nowhere's Tattle Track posted April 17th, forming Track 1 Beginning the Record. Backed by Daniel Toshin, he and Casey Waltz the country lifestyle she's content living remote with her horse and trailer home. Apple music podcaster Zane Lowe rode a horse during his destination interview there with her analyzing the overall mindset. I found it refreshing as Noah Khan's The Great Divide I recently analyzed, at least middle of nowhere single, Breathed Deeper Wells Relaxation Continuum. It's charted number 32 hot country songs, number 17 in New Zealand, and has 9 million Spotify streams. The US tour leg is late August to October. Internationally would start February 2027. Casey timed everything perfectly to be ready, rehearsing the upcoming dates. Track 3's Back on the Wagon and Track 4's I Believe in Ghosts cautiously digest lessons learned from past encounters. Bluegrass Indies singer Billy Strings accompanies Track 8's Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy, distinguishing wannabe's claiming to be country beyond the fashion, patience, and surviving rural surroundings. Billy Strings' popularity has grown in Live Americanist World. I recommend his 2024 song, Gild the Lily, and he sang M-E-X-I-C-O on Post Malone's F1 Trillion Country album. Track 9's Horses and Divorces is a personal olive branch Casey reached out to Miranda Lambert. She really didn't have a falling out, I'd label it a communication hiatus. In passing, when Miranda married Blake Shelton in 2011, Casey's sister Kelly was the hired photographer and heard about mama's broken heart demo. Back in the studio, Miranda asked to record it and Casey was hesitant to give it up. Compromising to sing back up and collect the songwriting royalties, a deal was made. Shane McInelly confided his sister was fighting with their mom getting over a breakup, and that's how the song came about. Mama's broken heart remains a classic on country radio, though Casey privately held a grudge. Making peace with herself, she reached out to Miranda writing Horses and Divorces, who happily obliged. 2026, a multitest year for them both. Miranda wrote Ella Langley's Choose in Texas and Duet's Butterfly Season on her new album Dandelion. Casey sang bells and whistles on Megan Moroney's Cloud 9 February album. Horses and Divorces formulates traditional Western adages, reuniting both women's musicality anew. Mama's broken heart led me to Casey's budding career, so this too came full circle for me to enjoy most. Feelings been mutual by the industry and fans. Horses and Divorces has charted number 84 on the Hop 100, number 23 Hot Country Songs, and number 14 Country Digital Songs. Easing their smoking habits, Willie Nelson's remained a high-profile friend who achieved a third appearance with Casey. I don't remember Are You Short's hidden track ending page of material, Laugh at 2016's A Willy Nice Christmas, track 10's Uncertain Texas was recorded in one take. 93-year-old Willie strummed guitar and chimed in, I would have liked a solo from him. Maybe he didn't want to overshadow. Also never knew, Uncertain's a geographic town in East Texas, west of Louisiana. Casey lyrically synonyms off the name, Track 5's Ableen narrates small town judgments surprising someone would be brave enough leaving it behind. Track 11's Rhinestone is a disco country experiment, mirroring Miranda Lambert's A Song to Sing 2025 number with Chris Stapleton and reforming 2018's high horse anthem, Golden Hour consisted. The tortured poets department triggered my thoughts again hearing Track 13's Hell on Me, concluding somberly. Wrecked as an almost 38-year-old divorcee, Casey's reputation doesn't define her, but the emotions linger enough to defend her side of the story. Taylor Swift did the same thing closing the manuscript. Both a hard stop hurdling the pain, seeking public sympathy. Gregory Allen Izakoff vocally assists Track 6 Coyote. He's got a crisp deep voice. I'm looking out his work from now on. Illustrating the ethereal tale, Ian Fitchuk mixes that tribal sound symbolizing the wild coyote and crying out, just like he did on Deeper Wells title track. I listened to Middle of Nowhere back entirely and will look up bonus tracks, All My Exes, Casey version, and Caballetto from her website. Middle of Nowhere's album debuted number 3, Billboard 200, No. 2 Top Country Albums, Americana Folk Albums, No. 1 Final Albums, and Top Album Sales. Great to see Life couldn't take the country out of Casey Musgrave's artistry. And whether the release date was intentional or not, it came out during tourist season. Literally, no bull personality. Thanks for tuning in to this episode. Share your feedback to Music Media Review Podcast at gmail.com. Vote your favorite Casey Musgraves album on our Spotify link, and watch the gratitude video I recently posted for your growing support. Follow our social media pages on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Golden Ow is probably my favorite from Casey. Subscribe and rate wherever you listen. I'm Jess. Talk to you next week.