You can date country music’s position as pop’s rising force back to Lil Nas X’s inescapable Old Town Road. It began an uncomfortable conversation about homophobia and racism, and proved there’s a hunger for queer or Black country acts. Also in 2019, South African-born Orville Peck released his excellent debut Pony, yoking a magisterial baritone to beautiful torch songs about gay cowboy love. Peck is famous for his numerous masks, and during this duets collection he tries as many musical hats, roaming the American songbook, searching for sympathetic styles such as gospel, MOR, chamber country and power balladry.
Midnight Ride is bright, beautiful disco with a killer chorus slightly hobbled by Kylie’s wispy contribution. She’s too obvious a choice – the song could’ve done with a Chrissie Hynde or Stevie Nicks to complement Peck’s rich vocals. Still, he’s a generous singing partner, weaving words or verses in among each guest, giving them space to shine. Willie Nelson is brilliant, bringing time-weathered wisdom to Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other, and Elton John is in fine fettle on a fun Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting). No one, though, quite matches Allison Russell’s formidable contribution to Chemical Sunset.
