Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere (Album Review)
Wednesday, 06 May 2026
Written by Will Marshall
Photo: Kelly Christine Sutton
Having spent some time wandering, making the soft, introspective folk of 2024’s ‘Deeper Well’ following several albums that explored poppier sounds, Kacey Musgraves has come home. ‘Middle of Nowhere’ is a return to her country roots, its title a partial reference to her home town of Golden, Texas and a sign there that inspired her.
Even if Musgraves never fully left country behind, its threads informing even her biggest departures, there is a feeling on her sixth album of bringing things full circle. The opening title track is softly strummed with duetting vocals, yawing steel pedal and a sense of looking out over her newfound life, rebuilt following the divorce and soul-searching that coloured her previous two LPs.
Musgraves is still funny, too. On Dry Spell, she grins “ain’t nobody’s truck up in my drive” and “I’m lonely with a capital H”, twisting country tropes into one shape only to fashion something different from them moments later.
Despite its toe-tapping music, I Believe In Ghosts is a frank look back on people she’s known who’ve disappeared abruptly after keeping her at arm’s length, while other tracks lament her loneliness over the past few years.
‘Middle of Nowhere’ is a star-studded affair, with new and old collaborators appearing across the piece. Uncertain, TX is her latest jaunt with Willie Nelson, the two reuniting to stunning effect 11 years on from working together on ‘Pageant Material’. Miranda Lambert appears on Horses and Divorces, while Billy Strings puts in a star turn on Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy.
Instead of overshadowing Musgraves, they embolden her and her writing. It’s been more than a decade since she made something that could strictly be termed a country record, but ‘Middle of Nowhere’ doesn’t attempt to scale those same heights. It’s comfortable in its skin, a return to old haunts informed by life lessons learned — a batch of fun, introspective and, most importantly, very good songs.
Kacey Musgraves Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri August 21 2026 - CHICAGO Illinois - United Center (USA)
Mon August 24 2026 - TORONTO Ontario - Scotiabank Arena (Canada)
Fri August 28 2026 - BOSTON Massachusetts - TD Garden (USA)
Mon August 31 2026 - NEW YORK New York - Madison Square Garden (USA)
Tue September 01 2026 - NEW YORK New York - Madison Square Garden (USA)
Fri September 04 2026 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia) (USA)
Sat September 05 2026 - BALTIMORE Maryland - CFG Bank Arena (USA)
Tue September 08 2026 - PITTSBURGH Pennsylvania - PPG Paints Arena (USA)
Wed September 09 2026 - COLUMBUS Ohio - Value City Arena (Schottenstein Center) (USA)
Fri September 11 2026 - MILWAUKEE Wisconsin - Fiserv Forum (USA)
Sat September 12 2026 - ST LOUIS Missouri - Enterprise Center (USA)
Tue September 22 2026 - MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota - Target Center (USA)
Wed September 23 2026 - KANSAS CITY Missouri - T-Mobile Center (USA)
Sun September 27 2026 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Bridgestone Arena (USA)
Mon September 28 2026 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Bridgestone Arena (USA)
Wed September 30 2026 - ATLANTA Georgia - State Farm Arena (USA)
Fri October 02 2026 - CHARLOTTE North Carolina - Spectrum Center (USA)
Mon October 05 2026 - HOUSTON Texas - Toyota Center (USA)
Wed October 07 2026 - AUSTIN Texas - Moody Center (USA)
Sat October 10 2026 - DALLAS Texas - American Airlines Center (USA)
Tue October 13 2026 - DENVER Colorado - Ball Arena (USA)
Thu October 15 2026 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - Delta Center (USA)
Sat October 17 2026 - PHOENIX Arizona - Mortgage Matchup Center (formerly PHX Arena) (USA)
Sun October 18 2026 - LOS ANGELES California - Crypto.com Arena (USA)
Mon October 19 2026 - LOS ANGELES California - Crypto.com Arena (USA)
Fri October 23 2026 - OAKLAND California - Oakland Arena (USA)
Mon October 26 2026 - SEATTLE Washington - Climate Pledge Arena (USA)
Tue October 27 2026 - SEATTLE Washington - Climate Pledge Arena (USA)
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
