Score: 4.5/5
Kacey Musgraves brings country back to its roots with a combination of meaningful lyrics and throwback country twang in her stellar sophomore album “Pageant Material.”
Unlike today’s typical country album filled with catchy love and drinking songs, Musgraves embraced her role as a storyteller in “Pageant Material” and completely opposes the stereotypes the industry itself is based on.
Don’t look for a “A Girl in Your Truck Song” because you won’t find one.
Instead of promoting stereotypes, Musgraves embraces the “be yourself”message of her hit “Follow Your Arrow” in a variety of different ways in “Pageant Material.”
“Cup of Tea” is a track cut of the same vein as “Follow Your Arrow” that shows that it’s impossible to please everyone, so what is important is making yourself happy. Although the tracks are similar in nature, “Cup of Tea” brings a mature look at the topic with lyrics such as, “We’ve all got the right to be wrong, ‘cause you can’t be everybody’s cup of tea.”
In the title track “Pageant Material” and “Good Ol’ Boys Club,” Musgraves takes on stereotypes directly in two completely different ways.
“Pageant Material” shows the inaccuracies of stereotypes by showing that not everyone is the same through the lens of a Southern woman, who doesn’t see the use in beauty pageants. Instead the song embraces real women, who aren’t always perfect, with lyrics such as, “I ain’t exactly Miss Congenial. Sometimes, I talk before I think. I’ve tried to change it but I can’t.”
In the track “Good Ol’ Boys Club,” Musgraves criticizes the industry itself and any other organization based on connections instead of talent and expertize. The lyrics may provide a glimpse into Musgraves’ view of herself and others like her in the industry.
Along with continuing her be yourself message from her debut album “Same Trailer Different Park,” Musgraves touches again on the workings of small towns with the track “This Town.”
In “This Town,” Musgrave grants a look into the inner workings of a small town, where the community is dependent on each other and everyone knows everything with lyrics such as, “way too small for secrets because they’re way too hard to keep.”
By branching out beyond the what’s typical in country today, Musgraves brings a honest look at love and life while sticking with her strong message of “be yourself.”