Music and Recording Reviews

Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere
Lost Highway (CD). 2026. Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, prods.; Konrad Snyder, Serban Ghenea, Mike Poole, mix.
Performance ****
Sonics *****

Like fellow East Texas native Lee Ann Womack before her, Kacey Musgraves has increasingly embraced restraint. On Middle of Nowhere, she eases away from the powerful vocals that defined much of her early work, choosing instead to sing in a lower, warmer register. It's a smart decision. These songs are concerned with unexpected solitude, and the more grounded vocal approach gives them added weight.

That emotional territory is most apparent in "Loneliest Girl," where Musgraves delivers one of the album's strongest performances. Her voice is placed deep inside the arrangement rather than above it, allowing the song's spacious production to do more of the emotional work.

Sonically, Middle of Nowhere is remarkably open. Acoustic guitars, understated percussion, and the contributions of four different pedal steel players define the record's sound. Their sustained notes and subtle bends create a constant sense of distance and longing, reinforcing the emotional themes while rooting the music firmly in classic country traditions. The result feels connected to the small Texas towns that shaped Musgraves as both a person and songwriter.

The album doesn't remain in that mode. Musgraves's longstanding affection for 1970s rock surfaces repeatedly. "I Believe in Ghosts" broadens the sonic scope with layered guitars and vocal harmonies, while "Rhinestoned" introduces a groove that might best be described as "country-disco." Both tracks add momentum without disrupting the album's overall mood.

Guest appearances from Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings, and Willie Nelson add texture, but it's the songwriting that separates this record from Musgraves's previous work. The songs suggest settling into a creative phase that may prove her most natural musical home.—Ray Chelstowski

The Red Clay Strays: Grateful
RCA Records (CD). 2026. Dave Cobb, prod.; Tom Tapley, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics ****

Faith has always been part of the Red Clay Strays' identity, and it remains central on their latest album. Songs such as "Demons in Your Choir," "Revival," and "Do Today" draw directly from gospel traditions, both lyrically and musically. But rather than dominating the record, these songs establish themes addressing redemption, doubt, regret, and perseverance that surface throughout the album in more subtle ways.

What makes The Red Clay Strays compelling is how they move between styles. Gospel harmonies sit comfortably alongside Southern rock, country soul, and blues. Frontman Brandon Coleman can deliver a lyric with the urgency of a revival preacher and then, moments later, pull back into a restrained, conversational style. That range gives the songs emotional credibility.

Instrumentally, the band draws heavily from classic Southern rock. The arrangements are built around a three-guitar attack that is reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd, while the interplay between slide guitar and traditional lead lines owes a clear debt to The Allman Brothers Band. On "Don't Wanna Know," distorted guitar lines move through a slow, swampy groove, while "Walking Away" uses a more measured tempo to reinforce the uncertainty that sits at the center of the song.

Producer Dave Cobb keeps the focus on performance. The production avoids unnecessary embellishment, allowing the band's strengths to come through clearly. The group shifts easily from the quieter "If I Didn't Know You" to "Fool's Gold," where Coleman's vocal is pushed to the front of a blues-based arrangement that draws on the tradition of Muscle Shoals soul recordings.

The Red Clay Strays are not trying to update Southern rock or reinvent it. Instead, they concentrate on writing strong songs and playing them with conviction. It's that straightforward approach that makes it work.—Ray Chelstowski

Noah Kahan: The Great Divide
Mercury Records (LP). 2026. Aaron Dessner, Noah Kahan, Gabe Simon, prods.; Bella Blasko, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics *****

Noah Kahan has developed a sound that is now as recognizable as his songwriting. Much of that identity comes from the way producer Aaron Dessner records his voice. Rather than placing it front and center in a dry mix, Dessner surrounds it with short delays and subtle reverb that create a sense of space. The effect is intimate, giving songs about small-town life, memory, and the complications of success a setting that feels both personal and expansive. Listeners familiar with Dessner's work with The National will recognize some of those production choices, though here they are applied to folk-based songs built around acoustic guitars and direct storytelling.

The album opens with "End of August," a restrained ballad that establishes the record's sonic framework. Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, lightly brushed percussion, and understated keyboards gather gently around Kahan's vocal. The arrangement grows, creating the feeling of a late-summer evening outdoors.

"American Cars" is built on forceful percussion and layered acoustic guitars, continuing the approach that has prompted comparisons to Hozier and Mumford & Sons. But Kahan's strongest songs are rooted in specific places and experiences, and on this record those details are sharp.

That is especially true on "Staying Still." References to Logan Airport, the Charles River, and Storrow Drive place the song squarely in Boston. Those details give the song weight, turning what could have been a general reflection on change and distance into something more impactful.

With a run time of over an hour, the album occasionally feels bloated, and tighter tracking might have made the strongest material stand out even more. Still, the record works as a whole, offering enough new ideas and musical variation to reflect how his artistry continues to grow.—Ray Chelstowski