The world is waking up again. I go outside and I can hear birds again. Plants are starting to poke back up, strong and green. I see the family of rabbits that live near my apartment darting between trees, just now starting to grow leaves (or even bloom with little flower buds).
This time of year seems to have affected Kacey Musgraves, too. Her new album Deeper Well is soft and acoustic, ruminating on nature, growth, and new beginnings.
Last time we heard her was 2021’s star-crossed, a departure from the then pure country artist. I liked star-crossed quite a bit – it was my introduction to Kacey, but I was aware that its produced and bombastic pop sound was more than a little divisive among her fans. Let it be known that I still feel a great deal of affection for that album and its experimental role in Kacey’s discography, but this return to form does make me understand why longtime fans may have been disappointed. It is wonderful to hear her in her wheelhouse.
The album’s title and title track set out a kind of thesis statement for the album at large. After experiencing a world-changing divorce on the previous album, it’s obvious that Kacey is interested in exploring the ways she must turn inward to find happiness. In a gentle, tongue-in-cheek way, she admits that she had to rely on some unhealthy coping mechanisms to get through the heartbreak and pain she experienced before (with one verse poking gentle fun at herself for her habit of “waking and baking”).
What’s interesting is that there is no bitterness or negativity toward these bad habits or these toxic people Kacey describes moving away from – she even states outright, “No regrets, baby / I just think that maybe you’ll go your way and I’ll go mine.” The gentle self-criticism is scored by soft guitar and a subtle drumbeat that emphasizes the simplicity and calmness of the realization that things are getting better.
That’s not to say there is no pain or negativity whatsoever on the album, though. It’s just in the approach. One of my favorite songs on the album, “Cardinal”. The song discusses Kacey’s sadness and lack of direction after suddenly losing a friend. She encounters the titular cardinal on a branch and asks if it could be a sign that her departed friend is trying to get in contact with her. There is no answer to Kacey’s question – it’s a bird, after all, it can’t speak to any deeper philosophical meaning to its appearance. But it’s in the wondering that we observe Kacey finding some sort of healing and meaning to the senseless tragedy she has experienced. All of that is set against an absolutely kicking 70s Fleetwood Mac-flavored guitar line. What a way to start the album.
Or, there’s “Moving Out”, where Kacey reflects on the bittersweet memories of her first home with a lover as she moves out. The verses list scenes of Kacey and her love making a home with the simplistic refrain – “Now autumn’s moving in / And we’re moving out.”
Simplicity is a real strength of the album, too. Another favorite of mine is the fleeting nostalgia of “Dinner with Friends”, where Kacey simply lists things she would miss “from the other side”. The idea of the song seems sad, but the tone of the song is so lovely and detailed about each of these tiny things that you can’t help but feel the adoration more than the sadness.
But the other current moving through this album is one of love. Kacey has moved on and found a new love, and many of the songs address the ups and downs of being in such a situation. One of my favorites, possibly my favorite of the entire album, is “Jade Green”. In line with the simplicity of a lot of the songs on this album is the song’s focus on its central image, a jade green bracelet given to her by her lover. Kacey explains how the bracelet has come to symbolize the feeling of safety and protection she feels with her new love. Wearing the bracelet every day is a physical reminder of this feeling, but what’s interesting is how the bracelet itself isn’t even present in the chorus (just in the pre-chorus). The “jade green” in the title not only describes the bracelet, then, but also becomes a sort of abstract representation of the love that Kacey always “keeps on her”. The atmospheric background vocals and instrumentals sells this idea of a kind of magical spell or blessing.
I also find myself intrigued by the love song “Giver/Taker”. Though its unabashedly positive toward her new relationship, there’s an interesting conflict and tension introduced in the chorus – “I would give you everything that you wanted / and I would never ask for any of it back / And if I could take only as much as I needed / I would take everything you had.” The way the chorus plays out is almost a bait and switch for listeners, who hear the first line and expect the second to mirror a sort of self-sacrificing approach to love. The two lines might even seem to contradict. But upon reflection, it takes the shape of a very mature approach to love. She’s willing to give her everything to this relationship, but expects just as much in return – an equal exchange of love.
There’s so much to love about this album. It’s a real slow burn that rewards you with so much beauty if you take the time to appreciate and reflect on it. I can imagine myself returning to it often when I need a breath of fresh air and a chance to unwind and relax.
Absoludicrous 