STRAYS | MARGO PRICE

1.13.2023: Wow, there is an incredible layered bass to the opening cut ‘Been to the Mountain’. Awesome guest artists, Tom Petty’s sideman Mike Campbell and the great Sharon Van Etten add to this great album.

Strays is the latest album by Margo Price, a country musician who has been praised for her honest and authentic songwriting. The album, which was released on January 13, 2023, by Loma Vista Recordings, is the result of a mushroom trip that Price and her husband and collaborator, Jeremy Ivey, took to write new songs. The album features contributions from Mike Campbell, Sharon Van Etten, and Lucius, and explores themes of freedom, empathy, and resilience.

The album opens with “Been to the Mountain”, a psychedelic rock song that showcases Price’s powerful vocals and paranoid lyrics. She sings about feeling watched by the government, the media, and the public, and questions her own sanity. The song also features bells, maracas, tambourine, and a 12-string acoustic guitar. The second track, “Light Me Up”, is a collaboration with Mike Campbell, who plays electric guitar and provides background vocals. The song is a love letter to Price’s husband, who helped her quit drinking and cope with the loss of their son. The song has a catchy chorus and a bluesy vibe.

This record also includes some of the most personal and political songs on the record. The fourth track, “Change of Heart”, is the lead single from the album, and one of the most reflective songs on the record. Price reflects on her past mistakes and regrets, and how she has learned to forgive herself and move on. She sings over an incessant blues riff that matches her defiant attitude. The ninth track, “Lydia”, is one of the most powerful songs on the album. Price sings about bodily autonomy and women’s rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. She was inspired by seeing a women’s health clinic in Vancouver while on tour years ago. She sings from the perspective of a woman named Lydia who decides to have an abortion despite facing stigma and judgment from society. She sings over an acoustic guitar and piano that create a somber and emotional tone.

Strays is an album that showcases Margo Price’s versatility as an artist and as a person. She experiments with different genres and styles while staying true to her roots as a country musician. She also shares her personal stories and opinions while being empathetic to others’ experiences and perspectives.