Rating: 6/10
I will readily admit that I have not listened to Margo Price’s debut album. Despite the buzz around its release, I just never got to it. Therefore, when this new EP came out, I figured I’d give it a shot since it’s only four songs long to see if Margo Price is my kind of singer.
It turns out that I did not have long to wait to see what I thought of her voice, as it was a bit weak on the title track, which is also the EP’s opener. The lyrics aren’t bad, detailing how sometimes her weakness is stronger than she is, and she is overcome by it. As much as I like the lyrics, though, her voice is what brings the song down for me. It seems like she tries overly hard. I do like the fiddle, however.
The second song, “Just Like Love”, has some darker instrumentation, which I liked. The lyrics talk about how love is not the gentle emotion we all think it is, and that we are all the same, as humans. I think Margo Price’s vocals are a bit better here, and I do like the guitar. I just wish her voice had not been so far back in the mix for this one. Combined with the tempo of the song and the way her vocals were mixed, “Just Like Love” felt a bit sleepy.
“Paper Cowboy” is both my most and least favorite song. The lyrics are great as they discuss a man who is all talk and no action. I like all of the little digs she takes at him, too. Where this song loses me, though, is when the track diverges from singing to total instrumental. Said instrumental goes on for about three minutes or so, and I quickly got bored. Her band is quite talented, but I tend to get less excited about songs outside of the classical genre if there are no words.
Lastly, there is “Good Luck (For Ben Eyestone)”. I really like her voice in the chorus of this song. As she references him being up in the sky and hoping he can see through the stars, I am assuming this song is dedicated to someone who has passed away. She hopes he thinks of her where he is. That is definitely a great sentiment, and I like the lyrical content of the song a lot.
Overall, the lyrics for all of the songs are strong, and Margo Price has a really good backing band. I question some of the production choices, as well as the style of singing used on “Weakness”. While Margo Price does have some songs where her vocals are really well-done, I did not love this EP. I listened to it a few days before I wrote this review, and had to go back and re-listen again in preparation to write this. I was surprised by what the songs say, so that just means that it was rather forgettable. I think if you like female-sung country, you should give this a chance to see if Margo Price’s music is your thing.
Buy The Album On Amazon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKvFuumCPM
Sure, this is not her best material, which is why it’s an EP. In almost all cases, EP’s are targeted at the core fans. (Whitney Rose’s EP earlier this year is an exception, because I think all six songs are LP worthy.) I adore Margo’s debut album, and I recently saw her at the Opry. She’s fantastic. She’s everything right about country music outside of the mainstream. I’m rather surprised that you have never found the time to listen to her debut LP, especially since it’s free on Spotify, and also because it benefited from notable performances on SNL. At the very least, begin with her music video (on YouTube) for “Hands of Time.”
I will have to check that out. Thank you. Still, an EP should be able to stand on its own. Especially as not everyone has the time to go back and explore an artist’s catalogue. As for Spotify, I’m afraid I don’t have it. 🙂
Bri, it’s on Apple Music as well.
I’m in the camp that enjoyed her debut album–though not on the level of many people–but not particularly this EP. I liked “Weakness,” and frankly, to me, that track sounds like a holdover from Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. I also enjoyed “Just Like Love.” The production here is much cleaner too. But it doesn’t stand out on its own, and that’s I think the fault of it being an EP. I agree with both of you here–Brianna is right in the fact that an EP should be able to stand on its own, but Kevin is right in saying that it won’t be her best material because it’s an EP. I think this problem lies with releasing EP’s instead of waiting to make full-length albums. They very rarely work. Some do, like Whitney Rose’s, Lindi Ortega’s, Justin Payne’s…but this one will be largely forgotten. In fact, we wouldn’t be talking about this EP at all right now but for the name Margo Price attached to it. I’m rooting for Margo Price wholeheartedly because I do think she represents much of what is right about country music, but this EP does not reflect her at her best or serve to further her career, at least in my opinion.