If you’re looking for an example of less being more, this mix might be the definitive one. It’s a superb fit for the writing, which encourages people to come out of their shells to see the beauty of the world around them, since it accentuates the idea that they’re in a safe space and can let down their defenses. The mixture strikes a nice balance between the brighter choruses and darker verses, acknowledging the proverbial storms that drove people indoors while declaring that the weather has finally improved.
With such a methodical, repetitive riff and a simple chord structure, you wouldn’t think this would generate much atmosphere for the song, but you’d be wrong: The sound is a lot more full and spacious than, say, Chris Janson’s “Drunk Girl” (he has to rely more on the steel guitar), and the song feels warmer and more comforting as a result. The production here reaches for the same serious piano that everyone else does, but instead of gradually adding more instruments and building to an anthemic swell for the climax, it steps back and lets the piano carry the melody by itself-no guitars, no drums, and no frills. This seems to me like a solid, thought-provoking song (and a lot better than some of the copycat ramblings I’ve heard recently), and makes my next question “So why isn’t Musgraves on the radio again?”
(Sure, it might not be an official single yet…or ever…but that didn’t stop me from declaring Glen Campbell’s “Everybody’s Talkin'” one my favorite songs of 2017, did it?) So I dug up the audio, hit ‘Play,’ and… Given the buzz surrounding Musgraves, I resolved to do a better job looking out for her releases this year, and when “Rainbow,” the closing track from her acclaimed album Golden Hour, started showing up randomly on station add lists ( perhaps in anticipation of the Grammy awards?), I took the opportunity to see just how Musgraves stacked up against some of the mainstream mediocrity I’ve been wrestling with lately. The relationship between Kacey Musgraves and mainstream country radio has always been chilly, and thus despite releasing four singles last year, none of them found enough traction on the charts to pop up on my radar screen. Prior to the Grammy telecast, she picked up awards for Best Country Solo Performance for “Butterflies” and Best Country Song for “Space Cowboy.” Additionally, Golden Hour was among the nominees for Best Country Album.It’s time to make amends for 2018 and finally see what everybody’s been talking about. Musgraves entered the evening with four nominations, including the all-genre Album of the Year honor. Gradually the dark, empty backdrop was replaced by bands of rainbow-colored lighting, with the audience breaking into applause just ahead of the final chorus. In a white dress and holding a matching white microphone, Musgraves gave an elegant, lovely performance of the song accompanied on a pearlescent grand piano by Golden Hour co-producer Ian Fitchuk. That theme continued through her Grammy appearance. The song, consisting of a simple piano-and-vocals arrangement, is the closing track on Golden Hour and has since been adopted by the LGBTQ community as an anthem of support. Kacey Musgraves made a triumphant return to the Grammy Awards on Sunday, performing “Rainbow” from her Album of the Year nominee Golden Hour.