MY COMPLETE REVIEW OF KACEY MUSGRAVES' NEW ALBUM, DEEPER WELL
can't talk rn. wringing creek water out of my align set
ENTERTAINMENT
Erica McClintock
3/16/20245 min read
Sway / This song exists to transition me to the better songs on the album. It sounds BEAUTIFUL. Something is just not clicking for me at the moment lyrics wise. Obsessed with the mention of palm trees, though. They've been a spiritual symbol for me my whole life. I do think I would have LOVED this song at 19.
Dinner with Friends / This is f*cking me up badly. As someone who is very idealistic about love, I think it's perfect, perfect, perfect.
"The shape of his eyes, the shape of his nose, the cute way he mispronounces certain words. The smell of his clothes."
Yeahhhh! *Fannita voice*
This is like if me and HENRYHENRYHENRY from TikTok dated. The Earth would heal.
Heart of the Woods / This song is for outdoor baddies only. Something about this reminds me of the walks I would take around Clemson in the fall as a college student. It's sweet. It's giving iced dirty chai, big t-shirt, hiking in Chacos and spilling YoungLife tea.
Lonely Millionaire / Nurse!!! Call Dr. Now! She's eating again!!! Okay, Alicia Keys! No, this is officially my sh*t!
"When I get paid, I wanna spend it on you. Baby, that's what it's for? I'd burn it all to keep you warm."
Please!!! She gets me. Can we normalize loving men again? I could write an entire thesis on this. OBSESSEDDDD.
Heaven Is / I zoned out listening to this thinking about the amount of Chelsea (from Love Is Blind) coded women who will walk down the aisle to this. Then I got sad that the album is almost over.
My highest anticipated album of 2024? Deeper Well. The second I saw Kacey post her bare body laying in a pasture, I mentally, physically, and emotionally reverted to being a girl from the sticks. Like this person I've attempted to bury for years under my cool girl exterior fully emerged. I've just let her take up space. It's her time now.
Let's get into my song-by-song reaction:
Cardinal / Immediately put me in an old Ford pickup truck and let me loose on a desert highway. Windows down, weave basking in the wind. I'm not sure if it's just a Southern tale, but here, cardinals are known to be signs that a lost loved one is trying to communicate with you. It's special. Cardinal is a huge indicator to me of what themes will be present throughout the album: regard, connection, grounding. Love these vibes.
Cardinal also made me feel like a daggum cardinal. Flying in the sky and on earth at the same time. I cannot listen to this in a delusional state, though. I'd be thinking Paul Walker is trying to propose to me from the dead.
Deeper Well / Can't talk right now, I'm submerged in a pond. This is the quintessential late twenties, early thirties song. Like goodbye bad habits, sh*tty friends, poor self-esteem. Hello to being me for me, loving me for my sake, and living a life I'm happy about. Period, Kacey.
Too Good to Be True / Love, love lost, and loving again. If you didn't cry, you're heartless, bro. I'm so happy she's happy (or at least was happy) with that handsome biracial man.
Moving Out / Early 2000s nostalgia. It's giving Alanis Morrisette. I don't hate it, but I will be skipping it regularly.
Giver / Taker / Tears steaming 45 seconds in. I'm not okay.
Jade Green / My 1% indigenous blood is stanning so hard rn. I want to be barefoot in wet Carolina red clay. I want to dance by a river under the moonlight. I want to be a horse frockling through a field. This EATS.
The Architect / I know a megachurch recruitment song when I hear one.
Anime Eyes / My man, my man, my man. Crying again. It's giving "and the Grammy for GOAT love song goes to... ANIME EYES." I want to be in love so bad. This is so, so, so good.
Nothing To Be Scared Of / I needed this song. I feel like our entire generation does. There's so much fear in love today - fear of rejection, fear of disappointment, fear of being seen. We needed a song about acceptance and healing together.
holding tight to who you are like someone's going to take it / bubble wrap around your heart like someone's going to break it / demons in your mirror / together we'll escape them / 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 is so beautiful to me.
Closing Statements / I can't believe that was the last song. I need more music. There's no reason why Chris Brown can make a 40 song album of essentially the same record and Kacey Musgraves cannot do the same. It was so good. It's speaking directly into my stage of life.
I'm re-entering my country baddie era. I am one with God and the Earth again. If you see me in Falls Park dipping my toes in the Reedy River, I want you to know that I know the water is toxic, but I have been activated. I can't help it. It's like when the full moon turned Remus Lupin into a werewolf. The chords of Jade Green have transformed me into a c*nt Kya Clark. Like rummage through my Louis if you want. You're going to find an obsidian arrowhead, a fish hook, and slingshot. TY Kacey!!! See u in CLT!
***Bonus Track: Ruthless / God heard my cry and answered me!!! I'm waiting on someone to upload to Youtube - I'll get back w/ u.
