CD Odyssey Disc 1828: Orville Peck

Hoping to hear about the new Ghost album? Well, outside of this teaser, you won’t be. I barely made it through one listen earlier this week. A terrible record from a band I otherwise love. At a recent visit to the record store I exclaimed that with their latest effort it felt like Ghost was deliberately making fun of its audience. To which a fellow Ghost fan behind me noted, “haven’t they always been doing that?”

“Yes”, I replied, “and I’ve generally enjoyed it, but this time they crossed the line.”

On to review an album I liked considerably more…

Disc 1828 is…Stampede

Artist: Orville Peck

Year of Release: 2024

What’s up with the Cover? Our titular masked cowboy, chillin’ with cool kids of various persuasions. I love Peck’s outfit, which gives me ideas for how I can repurpose my suits upon my retirement.

How I Came To Know It: Orville Peck doesn’t always work for me, but I’m sufficiently intrigued to give each of his releases a chance. Often, I move on. This time, I lingered.

How It Stacks Up: This is my only Orville Peck album (although I have been on the hunt for 2022’s “Bronco” for some time now). Until I find it, there’ll be no stacking up.

Ratings: 4 stars

Duet records tend to be a mixed bag. Some of the pairings can sound like two songs stitched together awkwardly and some just feel forced or – worse – a competition. On “Stampede” Orville Peck avoids all the common pitfalls and delivers one of the finer collaborations I’ve heard in a while.

Peck accomplishes this by making each duet a true partnership. He lets himself be immersed in the style of each collaborator, while bringing his unique sound into the mix. The result is like the design a talented barista puts on top of your latte; distinct and intricate, even as it blends into itself before your eyes.

The album’s opener is a great example. “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” The song’s a duet with Willie Nelson, and despite his propensity for a more Vegas style urban cowboy delivery, Peck allows Nelson’s moseying style to take the lead. The song has a timeless sway, and a lot of heartfelt fun. Fun fact about this song for those who don’t have the benefit of liner notes – this is a cover of a 1981 single by singer/songwriter Ned Sublette. Kudos to Sublette for being so far ahead of his time to write a song about gay cowboys, but if you’ve heard the original it suffers from Sublette’s vocals which are just…OK.

Not so with Willie Nelson and Orville Peck in charge. I’m not a huge fan of Willie Nelson, but that quaver is unmistakable and as welcome here as a tall glass of lemonade on a hot day in the south. It pairs well with Peck’s rich baritone and natural showmanship. Both men command a stage with their vocals, but they do it with very different approaches. The blend is quite lovely.

A few songs later, Peck is up to similar (but different) tricks with Beck on “Death Valley High,” a song that would have been at home on Midnite Vultures except for all that Las Vegas back-country sound. This is western music yes, but it’s the kind encrusted in rhinestones. The Beck/Peck combo is also great. The two singers are again distinct, and the tradeoff between them is a delight. It is also a thoroughly groovy song that will have your head bobbing and (if driving) encourage lead in the foot.

If “Death Valley High” isn’t sufficiently groovy, fear not, because later on the record you’ll get the absolute treat of Peck pairing up with latter-day disco diva Kylie Minogue on “Midnight Ride”. This song has that Minogue-specific back beat that commands you to dance, and to do it right now. Peck channels his best Vegas Elvis vibe (which, FYI, is really good) and matches her energy groove for groove, hip shake for hip shake. Listen to this song at your peril, because it is a serious earworm.

That’s a sampling of the funkier side of the record, but there is also plenty to offer on the country side of the ledger. Peck’s collaboration with Margo Price on “You’re an Asshole, I Can’t Stand You, and I Want a Divorce” that channels “Fairytale of New York”, minus the holiday spirit.

On “Papa Was a Rodeo” Peck cuts up some serious old timey fun with Molly Tuttle. It is a bit weird where Peck says, “pick it, Molly” before her solo. Like Molly needed anyone’s permission or encouragement to be the world’s greatest living guitar player. Yeah, you heard me.

There are even songs on this record I normally dislike (Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy”) that in the hands of Peck are lifted up to brilliance (“Rhinestone Cowboy”) or in the case of “Saturday Night…” at least made tolerable. For the latter, I think I noticed the lyrics for the first time ever, and it helped considerably. Thanks, Bernie Taupin.

This willingness to meet multiple styles halfway could easily make for a disjointed record, but through it all Peck is the stylistic centrepiece. He has a natural charisma that oozes out of every note he sings, and he stands tall as an equal partner with some of music’s greatest legends (also, with Midland, but even that works).

While not every track is as bangin’ as “Midnight Ride” there is a balance of excellence overall. Also, it is a lot of fun, so if you don’t like fun, maybe avoid it. But seriously, that thing you have where you don’t like fun? You should get that checked out.

Best tracks: Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other, The Hurtin’ Kind, Other, Death Valley High, Papa Was a Rodeo, Midnight Ride, You’re an Asshole I Can’t Stand You (And I Want a Divorce), Rhinestone Cowboy

CD Odyssey Disc 1671: Margo Price

I’m back from a trip out of town, where I was able to listen to this next album on…a ferry! Also in my car, but not at the same time, although that would’ve technically been possible.

Disc 1671 is…Strays

Artist: Margo Price

Year of Release: 2023

What’s up with the Cover?  Margo runs barefoot across a Mars-like landscape in what looks like a bridesmaid’s dress. There’s something awkward and hesitant in her pose here, but that’s likely just her taking short steps to ensure she doesn’t twist her ankle on the treacherous terrain.

I know what you’re thinking – wouldn’t she run a lot more efficiently in a pair of sneakers? You may be right, but think if she was still wearing those pink kitten heels from the wedding? Sometimes barefoot is the only option available!

But I digress…

How I Came To Know It: I was already a Margo Price fan, and this was just me buying her new album and hoping for the best.

How It Stacks Up: I have four Margo Price albums which is all of them. Unfortunately, “Strays” comes in at #4. Hey, something had to be last…

Rating: 3 stars

Margo Price doesn’t sell records like Taylor Swift, but she’s slowly and steadily grown her career, becoming an indie and critical darling in the process. The good reputation is very much earned, and Price is at a place in her career where she won’t be filling a football stadium but can at least damned well do what she pleases artistically.

As a result of all that (indie level) critical hype, I was pretty stoked when this record got released. I broke my own rules and went and read some background material about it, which made me confident that I was going to love it. I’d share that stuff, but it was someone else’s work and besides, we’re here for the music, not the bio.

On “Strays” Margo Price continues to do what has made her career so interesting to follow – a fearless willingness to go wherever her artistic inspiration takes her. Starting out very firmly in the country vibe, she has slowly and steadily added new approaches to her music like a closet full of consignment clothes, vibrant, eclectic and individual.

The record opens strong with the rollicking “Been to the Mountain” a semi-autobiographical tale celebrating her own rise from obscurity and poverty into respectability and financial security. Best line:

“I've been a victim and I've been a tumor
Used to be your waitress but now I'm a consumer”

This song got my energy up and while there were good moments yet to come, I don’t think Price ever lands the same ‘oomph’ as she does out of the gate.

Next up is “Light Me Up” which features Mike Campbell on guitar, although it feels halfway through that Mike is doing a Neil Young impression. Campbell is brilliant, but this song felt a bit too crammed with good ideas.

The record pays homage to many greats across multiple genres. “Radio,” is the best of these, a tune with a great mix of country bones dressed up with dance pop energy. It is a bit Springsteen, a bit Lucinda Williams, with some kind of dance pop energy that holds the whole thing together. All these styles merge flawlessly under Price’s careful coaxing, and the result is a mix of playful, sexy and a bit of nervous vulnerability.

The worst is “Lydia” which is trying to be gritty but felt dated before its time, like a spoken-word poem that was locked away in a time capsule from the mid-nineties. It is supposed to make you feel for the hard-scrabble title character, but at over six minutes I found that boredom had set in well before the song’s narrative had resolved.

This record has a dreamlike quality, and the genre jumps are a bit more pronounced than on her previous records. I like that Price tries a lot of stuff, but it also felt a bit what my stylish wife would call “too much icing, not enough cake”. The result is a lot of near brilliance but also a lack of cohesion. It made for a good record on the strength of sheer talent alone, but it could’ve been great with just a pinch more focus.

Best tracks: Been to the Mountain, Radio, Country Road

CD Odyssey Disc 1407: Margo Price

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey! I’ve noticed my entries are happening with less frequency lately, for which I apologize. I promise I love music just as much as ever, and I’m pretty sure my zeal for sharing my opinions continues unabated. In fact, here are some more of them.

Disc 1407 is…. That’s How Rumors Get Started

Artist: Margo Price

Year of Release: 2020

What’s up with the Cover? Margo working out her inner Stevie Nicks. I don’t think this cover would start a rumour unless Margo were to walk around with her arm over her head like that all the time. Then the rumour would be something along the lines of “Margo Price has some kind of medical condition that prevents her from lowering her arm!” That rumour is false, of course, but many of the most entertaining rumours are.

How I Came To Know It: I was already a fan of Margo Price through my friend Anthony, so I just bought this record when it came out and hoped for the best.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Margo Price albums and they are all excellent. Because of this consistent excellence, “That’s How Rumors Get Started” can only land at #3.

Ratings: 4 stars

Margo Price has been slowly moving her sound from homespun Americana toward something closer to seventies pop. With “That’s How Rumors Get Started” the journey takes another big step. The songs on this record would be equally at home on old school a.m. radio and at the Grand Ole Opry.

When I first heard the opening (and title) track I was ready to harrumph with disapproval. It was so similar to Fleetwood Mac I wasn’t sure what the point was. Four listens in, I was converted. What I first thought was a rip off was both a love letter to an earlier era, and also a clever advancement of the musical concepts of those earlier songs. Price borrows from them for sure, but she also builds the concept out in her own unique way.

The album lays its rock and roll foundations early, following that song with the bluesy drivetrain of disappointment that is “Letting Me Down” and the crunchy barroom growl of “Twinkle Twinkle.” “Twinkle Twinkle” also digs into the ephemeral and arbitrary nature of fame. Now an established artist making a good living, Price has more than paid her dues to get to this point, but her acknowledgment of the sometimes arbitrary nature of fame is refreshing.

After all that up-tempo thump, “Stone Me” breaks things back down, bringing her back to her roots Americana feel. Even so, it is with a rich production that evokes the country side of seventies radio. “Twinkle Twinkle” is a political statement about the music industry, outward facing and brash. “Stone Me” is the personal price paid through the same journey, intense and vulnerable.

The album is listed as “Produced by Sturgill Simpson”, but also (as a separate line) as “co-produced by David Ferguson and Margo Price”. I don’t know what the hell this means, but whatever the mixture of the three of them was, they find a cohesive vision throughout. There is a lush anthemic quality to the album, even on the more subdued and mournful tracks. There’s more than a hint of Bonnie Tyler in here, right between her plaid shirt “It’s a Heartache” and big-haired “Total Eclipse of the Heart” phases.

Price’s vocals have always had that combination of sweet and ragged that you’ll often find me extolling. I just like that sound, whether its Lindi Ortega, Jaime Wyatt or Price. Price can belt it out when she wants to, but it always feels like she has more in the tank even at full peel. “Hey Child” and “I’d Die For You” are both prime examples of her vocal prowess. Big and brash, but never feeling like she’s trying to show off. They have that gospel choir feel that just makes you feel like Big Things are happening.

This record is a stylistic throwback, but its exploration of the twisted fate of fame, fans, and the music business is thoughtful and thoroughly modern. Price continues to cut her own path on every record, and “That’s How Rumors Get Started” is a worthy entry in her already impressive journey.

Best tracks: Letting Me Down, Twinkle Twinkle, Stone Me, Hey Child, Prisoner of the Highway, I’d Die for You

CD Odyssey Disc 1147: Margo Price

The Odyssey continues with a little country music. There is a lot of bad country music out there, but there is also a lot of good stuff if you dig for it. here’s some of that.

Disc 1147 is… All American Made

Artist: Margo Price

Year of Release: 2017

What’s up with the Cover? Margo fading into the landscape…or is she part of the landscape? Or is she the Ghost of Scrub-Brush Ridge? I like that last one. It’s not a thing, but it should be.

How I Came To Know It: My friend Anthony introduced me to Margo Price through her first album, “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” in 2016. When “All American Made” came out in 2017 I liked the first few songs so gave it a chance.

How It Stacks Up:  I have both of Margo Price’s albums and if you’ve been reading along you already know what they are. They are equally good, but I’ll put “All American Made” in a photo finish at…#1.

Ratings: 4 stars

Anyone who says that modern country music has nothing to offer us has never heard Margo Price. On “All American Made” Price once again shows that traditional country music can be socially relevant and authentic now if it is done right.

Price is one of several female country artists currently shaking things up in a genre that has a tendency toward being stale, superficial or both. Others fighting that tendency include Courtney Marie Andrews, Lindi Ortega and Nikki Lane. All are talented singer-songwriters that aren’t content to just sing three and a half minutes of ‘yeehaw’ and “I feel sexy” and instead dig down deeper. Check them out as well.

Price is the most pure country of the four, and with two top twenty records has had the most commercial success, although even that is a woeful lack of appreciation given the quality of records she’s making.

Price doesn’t have powerhouse vocals, but she makes up for it with a sweet tone and an honest delivery. On “All American Made” this is supplemented well with some solid playing by the backup band. The songs mosey when they need to mosey and gallop when that’s what’s called for. Price’s acoustic guitar work is subtly strong and Jamie Davis (electric guitar) and Luke Schneider (pedal steel) are both the right fit for Margo’s sound, with a light touch that delivers a lot of emotion without ever upstaging the star of the show.

As with her debut album, Price isn’t afraid to explore scars and faults, whether they are with her or in the music industry in general.

There are plenty of men behaving badly on the record, but Price never lets that be an excuse for self-destructive behavior. As she sings on “Weakness”, “I can hurt myself much more than anyone else can.” While she can – and does – call out selfish lovers and self-obsessed louts, she never shies away from taking responsibility for situations, right down to when she shows those louts the door. It is empowering stuff which rejects the vacuous expressions of cowgirl power you see from her mainstream Nashville counterparts. Instead Price opts for self-examination and the agency, and power that blossoms from knowing yourself first.

That’s not to say Price won’t call out idiots directly; she can and does. One of my favourites is “Cocaine Cowboys” which takes aim at all the idiots who dress up in western clothes but are a far cry from the real men they emulate:

“Cocaine cowboys they’re bad in the saddle

But they’re coming from New York, LA and Seattle

They’re all that, they don’t rope no cattle, they don’t ride no bulls.”

This song reminded me of all the drunken yahoos you encounter in Nashville walking up and down Honky Tonk Row. Later in the evening that scene can become quite a shit-show every bit as drug and liquor crazed as Las Vegas, but with more cowboy hats.

Price isn’t afraid of broader social issues. On “Pay Gap” she speaks out against women artists getting paid less than their male counterparts. In addition to being a timely commentary, “Pay Gap” is a cleverly structured song. I’m no expert, but I believe the verses are in 4/4 time but when Price gets to the chorus (“pay gap, pay gap/why don’t you do the math”) she switches to 2/4, letting the song’s time signature underscore her point. At least I think that happens. I’m not great at time signatures. “Pay Gap” also has some sweet Mexican-style flourishes of guitar and accordion.

Price takes on the plight of the American farmer on “Heart of America” and her more general concerns with America on the title track. That title track is an exceptionally poignant piece that would have been a lot better if it didn’t have an intro and outro sampling a bunch of presidential speeches. It is too obvious and doesn’t add to a song that delivers the message just fine on its own.

My other quibble is with “Learning to Lose,” a duet with Willie Nelson. The song is fine but I’ve never been a fan of Nelson’s voice. I know that this opinion is heretical and a bit rich coming from a guy who fawns over Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, but it is how I feel. Also, Price and Nelson sing with different phrasings rather than in harmony (or even unison). It is deliberate and done with skill, but it still felt disjointed to my ear.

Those are my only real quibbles with “All American Made,” though. This is a really great record from an artist who is showing that she is fixin’ to be around for a while. She’s dropped two albums in two years and I already can’t wait for what she does next.

Best tracks: Don’t Say It, Weakness, A Little Pain, Pay Gap, Cocaine Cowboys, Heart of America, Do Right By Me