In her sixth studio album released on March 15, Kacey Musgraves reflects on her Southern roots and idyllic themes of nature while she navigates a fresh break-up.
The promotions and performances leading up to and after the release have featured barefoot Musgraves walking through pastures and propped up on moss-covered stages.
There is a no-frills energy as Musgraves embodies a soft, folksy-pop sound across fourteen tracks and one bonus. Previously linked to poet Cole Schafer, it is no wonder the album sounds reminiscent of love letters and post-it notes.
A fitting album for spring, “Deeper Well” is a nod to classic American songwriting and an “ode to the removal of resistance to growth in your life,” Musgraves said on the Today Show.
Woven through the track list is a sense of reconnection to the basics, lush greeneries and seeking a higher power. This follows a fiery branch out with “star-crossed,” released in 2021, after Musgraves’ divorce from fellow country singer Ruston Kelly.
The first singles dropped included the title track “Deeper Well” and “Too Good to be True” where Musgraves decidedly cuts ties with things that no longer serve her purpose.
“I used to wake and bake/Roll out of bed, hit the gravity bong that I made/And start the day,” from “Deeper Well” reinforces the notion of her newfound clarity and taking control of her destiny.
Despite the lack of features, she resoundingly comes to terms with self-improvement and moving forward on her own, paving the way for revelatory lyrics and cosmic messages from above.
“Cardinal” sets the tone for the album with Musgraves remembering the passing of a friend as a red feathered bird flies overhead. The idea of life after death and questioning the “maker” continue throughout in other songs like “Dinner with Friends,” “The Architect” and “Heaven Is.”
One of my favorite tracks is “Lonely Millionaire” in which Musgraves perils the realities of fortune and fame through a wispy, heartfelt plea to warn listeners, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Although it may not be her best album, “Deeper Well” is full of catchy beats, personal anecdotes and the romanticization of one’s life.
