Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter

Margo Price
Midwest Farmer's Daughter
2016
Spotify

When you listen to Midwest Farmer's Daughter for the first time you may very well think that Margo Price is tapping in to some of those old country tropes in hopes of garnering more fans, but you would be wrong. The first track "Hands of Time" is a six minute opus packed full of indiscretions, mistakes and missteps however the remarkable part is that all of them are true. Price did loose her first child, Her father did loose their family farm, she did shack up with a married man, and when you realize that her songs, and her presence for that matter, take on an entirely new meaning. With a description like that you would expect this album to be full of doom and gloom, but you would be wrong. Margo manages to find the lightness in life, despite the glaring reality of it all and her music reflects that. It is old school honky tonk for the the most part, meant to get people dancing and keep them engaged without taking away from the primary aim, drinking and socializing. This may be her debut album, but Price has been on the Nashville scene for some time so she slides into this record like an absolute pro. Her confidence is palpable and brings a power to the songs that very few people would be able to replicate. The music has that alt-country feel that Jason Isbell and the Drive-By Truckers have done for years keeping the spirit of old school music that didn't need to stick to a genre because it was just good.

At it's best Midwest Farmer's Daughter is fiercely personal, while at it's worse it is still good country music. While Price really sounds great when she is singing about her struggles with relationships, bars and the Nashville machine she falters a bit when the songs become generic and broad. Her voice however has this classic quality right up there with all the greats of country music. It is a sound you know well but forgot you needed in your life. "Weekender" is a great little song about time spent in jail on the weekends and despite it's dower subject it has this hilarious tone, laughing at the whole situation rather than focusing on the painful reality of it all. The same can be said for "Hurtin' (On The Bottle)" as well. With all "country" music done at this level you can expect pretty stellar musicianship, but the backing band on this album takes it to another level. The slide is used in just the perfect way to not become annoying or grating after a while. What really works on this album is the effortless polish. For most people a debut can have a few chinks in the armor, but not with Margo Price. Midwest Farmer's Daughter is super tight but is never forced, everything is totally organic and the last track "Desperate and Depressed" seems like it was recorded in the same wrong with the instruments yet still sounds perfect. For those not familiar with good country music this would be a great introduction, and a great listen for just about anyone.

8.3 out of 10