Kacey Musgraves’ album “Golden Hour” is the perfect soundtrack to get you through the struggles of quarantine and the pandemic.

The album may have come out in 2018, but it is perfect for 2020.

Most of us fortunate enough to have remained healthy and safe during the pandemic, have struggled with the “pandemic blues.”

The pandemic blues might be familiar to you — maybe you have been feeling hopeless or are struggling with the world being shut down with nothing to do.

If this sounds like you, then I might have a remedy: “Golden Hour.”

The song that first introduced me to this album was: “Rainbow.” It popped up on a Spotify playlist on a day when I was feeling particularly hopeless. I thought that life would never go back to normal. “Rainbow” was the breath of fresh air that I needed at that moment.

One of the first lyrics in this song is “It’s hard to breathe when all you know is
the struggle of staying above the rising water line.” Wow! That hit close to home.

After hearing this song, I had to listen to the rest of the album. I had really high hopes that the other songs on the album all would have a similar vibe as “Rainbow.” I was not disappointed.

“Golden Hour” fits together so well. Each song is a piece of a puzzle that creates a beautiful picture. But in this case, that beautiful picture is actually a feeling that the album gives you.

Every song on the album made me feel like I was floating above the clouds. I was able to forget about the current hardships of the world and just exist in my “Golden Hour” bubble for a little while.

The album has a particularly satisfying sound and accomplishes a particular goal. I cannot imagine any other singer trying to perform it. Musgraves has such a wispy and powerful soft voice. No other artist could match that vibe that she’s delivering.

With that being said, because the album is so distinct in its mood, you have to be in the right mood to listen to it. This isn’t the type of album that you can just throw on with the expectation of having a crazy dance party. This album is for those moments when you just really want to “vibe out.” Yes, I know, it’s a very technical term.

I give this four out of five stars. Kacey Musgraves’ album “Golden Hour” fills that hole that you might have in your life, or in your heart.

Edited by: Jason M., Matthew L. Self