Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well

I have been looking forward to the new Kacey Musgraves album since the lead single “Deeper Well” was released in early February – it signaled Kacey was back. 2021’s star-crossed never resonated with me, and I was hungry for a return to Golden Hour (2018) form. The One Lo ve movie-inspired Bob Marley cover “Three Little Birds,” released in January, caught my attention too. Unfortunately, Kacey and her team wasted money on a teaser commercial at the Grammys. It got totally lost when Taylor Swift mic dropped that her new album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, is coming on April 19. But now that it is here, I happily declare that Deeper Well is an excellent album.

Like Golden Hour, Deeper Well has a luscious production. However, this is not Golden Hour Vol. 2, as Deeper Well has its own aesthetics. Kacey sings slightly differently: more pop but still with a singer-songwriter vibe (and, when appropriate, a little twang). The lyrics are direct and have a world-weary, smart-ass attitude, but somehow optimistic.  

…lyrics are direct with a world-weary smart-ass attitude

“Cardinal” opens the album with a baroque folk-rock intro—like a Byrds’ song. The music has a sad and wistful sound. Lyrically, Musgraves explores the old trope that a cardinal (bird) is a messenger from someone who has died. The narrator tries to decipher the message from the bird. No conclusions are made, just guesses. It is a beautiful start to the album.

“Deeper Well” is a gorgeous single, and if this was the only bright star on this album, this album cycle would be a success. Fortunately, this is just one of several great songs on the album. Again, Kacey is exploring a Bryds-like sound. Lyrically, the narrator is doing some weighty introspection: failed relationships, drugs have become too important, sycophants, etc. All these things need to be left behind and instead focus on a “deeper well.” In an interview, Kacey explains the deeper well metaphor:

“”Deeper Well’ cuts to the core of the human experience for those that are wanting to experience a deep relationship with themselves and also other humans that are existing. The older I get, the more I realize that if you don’t know yourself and you don’t have a deep relationship with yourself, you’re not going to have that with anybody else.”

“Too Good to Be True” – I love good songwriting that puts a twist on a cliche. Kacey delivers a brilliant twist on the “too good to be true” cliche:

“Be good to me and I’ll be good to you
But please don’t be too good to be true”

“Moving Out” is a song that remembers a house that two ex-lovers shared.

“Giver / Taker” is the most conventionally country song on the album, yet it reminds me of a combination of Dylan and Beck.

“Sway” has a country vibe with a Bon Iver(ish) ending. It has a simple message: don’t get uptight, and learn to go with the flow:

“I’ll sway (Yeah, oh yeah)
Like a palm tree in the wind”

“Dinner With Friends” is a ditty that examines romance.

“Heart of the Woods” has an indie rock/Americana feel to the music. Lyrically, this song is more opaque than the rest of the album.

“Jade Green” has Nick Drake vibes, but it also, musically, evokes Chris Isaak’s 1989 hit “Wicked Game.”

“The Architect” is a clever musing on the existence of god via a gorgeous jangling folk arrangement.

“Lonely Millionaire” is a pretty pop ballad with Kacey’s take on “money can’t buy you love.”

“Heaven Is” has a Celtic folk song feel. Lyrically, it points out the simple things that make it great.

“Anime Eyes” is the album’s most elaborate and experimental arrangement. It has a superb crescendo.

“Nothing to Be Scared Of” is a plea to a lover to open their heart and lose their life’s baggage:

“Come to me, and drop your bags
And I’ll help you unpack them
You’re the only one I want to give my love
There’s nothing to be scared of”

This album will burnish Kacey’s reputation as a singer-songwriter and recording artist. The songwriting is simple and direct, and the music/arrangements perfectly augment the lyrics. One odd feature is that many of the songs just end. Kacey could have done a better job sticking the landing on some of these songs. Golden Hour was a huge step forward, moving Kacey from an up-and-coming country star to a brilliant pop singer-songwriter. Deeper Well is evidence that Golden Hour was not a fluke and Kacey is for real.

My introduction to the album was the 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC stream on Tidal, and the sonics are like butter.

The vinyl version has an excellent master and pressing, and the packaging is well done. I chose the indie record store version and pressed it on “spilled milk” vinyl. The leaves are scented with “KM + Boy Smells” – a nice gimmick.