"Pageant Material" is the first cornball thing she's written.
"This Town" is Miranda Lambert's "Famous in a Small Town" and "Fastest Girl in Town" but I love the arrangement.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 June 2015 18:08 (eight years ago) link
and using the Killers trick too
I never want to hear "Somebody to Love" again.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 June 2015 21:58 (eight years ago) link
don't you want some 'somebody to love' to love?
― j., Monday, 15 June 2015 22:08 (eight years ago) link
y'all are so weird
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Monday, 15 June 2015 22:09 (eight years ago) link
I just listened to it once in my workplace, but it doesn't seem as awful as everyone is telling. from a first listen (without too much attention, i know) i had a good impression of it. It's not a STDP, but it's probably very good.
― Nourry, Monday, 15 June 2015 23:47 (eight years ago) link
"family is family" is easily the worst thing here right? sets my teeth on edge
"cup of tea" is almost laughable, like you're really going to write this song AGAIN
"this town" does sound lovely but i feel that the group of artists musgraves comes from has portrayed small town life with so much more depth and nuance already
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 16 June 2015 06:53 (eight years ago) link
"late to the party"is a really sweet song -- nice to hear a straight up love song from her
― J0rdan S., Friday, 19 June 2015 16:26 (eight years ago) link
"pageant material" and "this town" are a bit of a speed bump but otherwise i think this is pretty strong -- not as good as same trailer but also enough of a sidestep that i think it works on its own terms
it's a sweet and graceful album
― J0rdan S., Friday, 19 June 2015 17:07 (eight years ago) link
I've got a discussion on my FB wall with a few critics about McAnally, Clark, Musgraves, queer in country, the lapse into cuteness, etc.
"Miserable" is my favorite today.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 19 June 2015 17:14 (eight years ago) link
i didn't like the first few songs i heard - so much strummyness - so i'm just gonna let this happen when it happens
― j., Friday, 19 June 2015 17:39 (eight years ago) link
j0rd otm.
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 19 June 2015 22:44 (eight years ago) link
If you set a low bar I guess she's cleared it, sure
― lex pretend, Friday, 19 June 2015 22:54 (eight years ago) link
think this album is straight up great ... i don't think it sounds like same trailer!! i wonder if people would be making such a connection if we didn't know it was written at the same time
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 23 June 2015 18:49 (eight years ago) link
i also can't understand all the hate... 'miserable', 'die fun', 'dime store cowgirl', 'good ol' boys club' are as great as some of the best moments of 'same trailer'. and listening her with willie nelson in the end is gold.
― Nourry, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 18:55 (eight years ago) link
idk why i thought "pageant material" wasn't good, the first 4 tracks are literally perfect
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 23 June 2015 19:16 (eight years ago) link
I haven't read any "hate" for this album. It's tuneful and disappointing.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 19:30 (eight years ago) link
it doesn't sound like same trailer. the arrangements are way more relaxed
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 19:47 (eight years ago) link
Song for song, it's catchier and richer than ST. Like lex, I have a problem with how on the nose these songs are, how she (sill) relies on the cutes. "Cup of Tea" is the nadir. It’s 2016, rural America’s changing, and changing fast enough so that Musgraves can be less indebted to a wink-wink conceit.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 19:49 (eight years ago) link
*still
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 19:50 (eight years ago) link
one-listen take: i am quite relieved that this is nowhere near as bad or predictable as i had feared it would be from "biscuits," which may be the worst cut on the album other than maybe "cup of tea." i haven't been unusually struck by any of its lyrics the way i was on hearing same trailer for the first time, but the songs are still quite a pleasant listen and many of its arrangements are gorgeous. yeah, i probably won't like it as much as same trailer in the end (which is kind of a high bar anyway), but it's certainly not enough of a step down for me to be disappointed either.
the two bad songs i mentioned aside i was also way off the mark in thinking that the album would just be a bunch of safe retreads. yeah lyrically she does sometimes rely on some of the same tricks which is getting eyeroll-inducing/tiresome but idk, otherwise (esp. sonically) she's definitely venturing somewhere new for her. whether others have done better in similar territory is another story (obv they have) but it still sounds good so i find it hard to complain ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
― dyl, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 23:15 (eight years ago) link
There's something happening in Biscuits that makes it work.
― rap is dad (it's a boy!), Wednesday, 24 June 2015 01:59 (eight years ago) link
Anyone worrying that hipsters will start listening to Kacey Musgraves has never lived in America.
good to see P4k is gonna start reviewing country records:
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20679-pageant-material/
― alpine static, Wednesday, 24 June 2015 07:20 (eight years ago) link
A lot of country is about singing about what you aren't (or rather "ain't")
gross
― j., Wednesday, 24 June 2015 07:55 (eight years ago) link
circa-2004 hip-hop problem
wait hip-hop had a problem circa 2000?
feels like we've reached the point where if an artist is Important - which kacey certainly is - they need not actually be good, their existence is enough
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 24 June 2015 08:42 (eight years ago) link
Blah article in which Mugraves and Jason Isbell save country music because bros and countries and cars
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/814-jason-isbell-kacey-musgraves-and-the-duality-of-the-southern-thing/
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 June 2015 20:58 (eight years ago) link
oh one of those
written by the exact person i expected
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 25 June 2015 20:59 (eight years ago) link
We were without one for a week. Overdue!
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:00 (eight years ago) link
all this stuff seems so prepackaged considering how poorly this narrative fits 'pageant material'
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:10 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, if anything the album feels a tad wan for playing it too safe.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
wait hip-hop had a problem circa 2000?feels like we've reached the point where if an artist is Important - which kacey certainly is - they need not actually be good, their existence is enough― lex pretend, Wednesday, June 24, 2015 4:42 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― lex pretend, Wednesday, June 24, 2015 4:42 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
The problem was that nerds were drooling all over Madvillainy instead of Petey Pablo and Shawnna. Guess this is like 2004 after all...
― lil dork (Whiney G. Weingarten), Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
Timbaland should get on this country thing.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:19 (eight years ago) link
"white tee" is an incredible song, too -- and it has a narrative!
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:21 (eight years ago) link
xpost way ahead of u
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYymnKUhZQ
― lil dork (Whiney G. Weingarten), Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:21 (eight years ago) link
really enjoyed the sneak "white tee era was devoid of content" diss from the site slobbing on young thug's knob like it's corn on the cob
― lil dork (Whiney G. Weingarten), Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:22 (eight years ago) link
Oh, shit, how did I forget about Bubba? Bubba, what happened, your second album was great, get back to me!
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:27 (eight years ago) link
hey bubba was a buddy of mine in college! good dude.
― Heez, Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:13 (eight years ago) link
pics or it didn't happen
― Spottie, Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:18 (eight years ago) link
sry, we weren't super close, but this was pre-timbo and he used to play a song of his that sampled country boy can't survive at parties.
― Heez, Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:22 (eight years ago) link
hah, nice
― Spottie, Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:23 (eight years ago) link
http://www.stereogum.com/1810529/the-week-in-pop-instead-of-going-big-kacey-musgraves-goes-home/franchises/the-week-in-pop/
great piece
― lex pretend, Friday, 26 June 2015 14:53 (eight years ago) link
But Musgraves has refused to carry the burden that she was poised to assume
ehhhhhhh okay
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 26 June 2015 14:56 (eight years ago) link
hmmm yeah seems a little harsh
― dyl, Friday, 26 June 2015 15:16 (eight years ago) link
what I heard of the new Isbell really paled in comparison to his last album
anyway I am not familiar w/ Musgraves at all but I like a few songs on this, the bookends especially.
― the naive cockney chorus (Simon H.), Friday, 26 June 2015 15:19 (eight years ago) link
2/3 of that piece was really excellent but comparing the pageant imagery to lily allen's "hard out here" is bizarre and tone-deaf. also, at the risk of coming off "IT IS NOT A BEAUTY PAGEANT IT IS A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM" the whole "pageant material" thing is as much about personality and class (someone's got to pay for those walking lessons and fees to actually do the swimsuit portion that earns 20% of your points and $1000 interview suits that you're never going to wear anywhere else because they're fucking light blue) networking than about looks.
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Friday, 26 June 2015 16:55 (eight years ago) link
also, so what if kacey musgraves was in a pageant as a kid? lots of people in the south are, especially if they're remotely involved in the performing arts.
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Friday, 26 June 2015 16:59 (eight years ago) link
Lex, you're tripping
― supreme problematics (D-40), Friday, 26 June 2015 17:49 (eight years ago) link
what because i said an article was good, pelase elaborate
― lex pretend, Friday, 26 June 2015 18:01 (eight years ago) link
like I said, the first two-thirds or so was good, it just sort of went off the rails with that IMO. (I never did pageants myself but my sister did throughout high school so I am very familiar with all the trekking and prepping and endless people singing martina mcbride
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Friday, 26 June 2015 21:10 (eight years ago) link