2026 Album #004: Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere

Country music can be hit or miss for me. There's some country music that I have really enjoyed listening to, such as (shock) Taylor Swift, but also a couple of other smaller artists I would mention if I hadn't deleted my previous blog. Oh well! I did not really enjoy Kacey's last album all that much, I did not get the hype, so let's see how I feel this time.

Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere:

Middle of Nowhere: I'm not sure I'm a major fan of the vocals here. I don't like either Kacey's voice or the background vocals with her. Ew, I do not like that chorus either. That's somehow worse. The verses are better, to be fair, production wise and all. I guess it was okay overall...it was a song. It existed. 5/10

Dry Spell: This seems more up my alley production wise. More boppy and all. The way it's sung is better too. Okay, I know it's intentional, but some of those lyrics are incredibly cringe and awful. Some are iconic. I don't know why I feel both at the same time. But this is a good song anyway! 7/10

Back On The Wagon: This is good too! Why was that first song so much worse? Again, this is catchy, the way it's sung is great. Good song! Good, catchy production again too. Again, just have to emphasise that the singing here is fantastic. Really like it. Maybe I have to take back my hatred from the first song. 7/10

I Believe In Ghosts: Some really nice instruments and production here too. Just seems like this may be a pretty nice country album. Good vocals again. Good, enjoyable song! Stop believing in ghosts though... 7/10

Abilene: Eh, the first miss in a while. I don't like the vocals, the layered ones especially, and the production here. It's grating. Less of this please! 4/10

Coyote (feat. Gregory Alan Isakov): Ah, another song in the same sort of style as the previous song. The singing here isn't too bad for me. Joint vocals are decent too. So it's not as bad. Actually, it's pleasant enough, and it gets better throughout the song. I thought I'd be a hater at the start and I was not. 6/10

Loneliest Girl: This is better again. Nice song. I have a beautiful and lovely boyfriend now but I think it's always good to embrace being single and also...not just romantically, but just being comfortable with being alone in general. So good message. Although living by myself definitely gets a bit old at times. Wait, was I supposed to be talking about a song here? This is good! Sung nicely, nice production, it's just good. 7/10

Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy (with Bully Strings): The song is fine. Nothing special for me, the collaboration is fine. It's pleasant but no more than that. I don't want to be a cowboy though! It's sung nicely, and I appreciate the lyrics. 6/10

Horses and Divorces (with Miranda Lambert): This song was merely okay. The collaboration was fine, but nothing special. The Willie line seems cringe (yes, I know about the singer). It was just an okay song that was a song to exist. Not bad, not good. The singing was alright, but yeah. Okay. 5/10

Uncertain, TX (with Willie Nelson): Followed up by Willie of the previous song fame! There's some nice production here, it's not my favourite, but it has a boppy country carnival like atmosphere to it. The collaboration was good, their vocals really work well together. And the ending was funny! Decent song overall. 6/10

Rhinestoned: This song was again pleasant and decent. Good vocals, nice production. Nothing really special at this point. 6/10

Mexico Honey: This is kinda different again, that's fun. I do like the production on this, I think. I was kinda unsure but I'm on board. This was a nice song, and it was different enough, but I'm definitely on board team "the album should have ended already". Weird change towards the end, not sure about that, thank you. 6/10

Hell On Me: Obligatory Ballad to close out the album? Okay. Some really nice vocals here actually, I think it's a showcase of her vocals. Nice, simple, pretty production too. I know I talk about Mandatory Ballads TM but this one was good! 7/10

Overall Verdict: As I said at the start, country music can be hit and miss for me. Some albums and songs are fantastic, others are...not good. This album contained both. Some of the slower songs were complete ass. Some of the collaboration songs did not work for me either. However, there were also plenty of good songs here, and good collaborations here. The album is perhaps too long, and feels repetitive at times, but it's got some good stuff.

Favourite lyric: "Ain't nobody's tool up in my shed" (Dry Spell)

It's cringe. It's awful. But this one is also good. I don't know. I'm a complicated person okay. Especially with what I'm about to complain about. I don't know why I loved this line and hated the next. Sue me.

Least favourite lyric: "I'm so lonely / Lonely with a capital H / If you know what I mean?" (Dry Spell)

No, I don't know what you mean. I mean, I do really, but come on. So, no, I don't know what you mean.