"Strays" by Margo Price
Moving forward from her shiny, rock-heavy record That’s How Rumors Get Started, Margo Price presents a formidable follow-up, Strays. Though Price has been quite open with psychedelics’ influence on the album’s writing and production, Strays is as grounded as it is ethereal. Along with memorable instrumentation and production, the real star of the record is Price’s impressive songwriting. She crafts both upbeat songs and emotional ballads effortlessly, cementing Strays as another staple in modern roots-rock. Price clearly plays homage to her inspirations while paving her own path into Americana, which is becoming less and less impacted by the structures of genre. Price fully embraces her own style with this record, combining the rhythmic percussion of Western country with 70s-style synth, producing a sound that is refreshing yet familiar. With a lyrical style grounded in folk, a classic rock construction, and a wailing slide guitar throughout, Strays presents a unique, cohesive sound that seems simultaneously personal and reflective of today’s political and social environment.
The standout opening track, “Been to the Mountain,” is perhaps the best example of Price’s masterful mix of the way Strays addresses both the self and collective at once. While told through a series of first-person statements, the song itself speaks to the equally glorious and terrifying experience of being a woman in America today. “I’ve been a child and I’ve been a mother,” she sings, continuing, “used to be a waitress but now I’m a consumer.” The lyrics, building up Price’s strength and confidence in her identity, leads to a moment in which she demands her listener to “take your best shot!” Empowering yet vulnerable, “Been to the Mountain” is a great representation of the duality found throughout the rest of the record.
Price evokes a similar type of self-confidence in “Change of Heart,” a rhythmic rock ballad that is fiery, unapologetic, and the epitome of great Margo Price tracks. “Radio” and “Time Machine” are two of the album’s more upbeat songs, and, while straightforward in message, they still hold creative lyricism. While not the most groundbreaking tracks with their familiar themes (“drowning out the haters” and breakups, respectively), they’re still fun. The instrumentation on both tracks is whimsical and catchy. While not as provocative as other inclusions on the album, “Radio” and “Time Machine” are still well-crafted, entertaining, and create a nice balance between the heavier songs. These particular songs showcase Strays’ more playful side, offering a more celebratory approach to the hardships addressed throughout the album.
One such heavier song is the piano-led ballad “County Road,” which evokes the stylings of Bruce Springsteen. Price paints a picture of a hometown that has turned into a “nightmare,” twisting nostalgia with grief, crafting a beautiful yet haunting ghost town with her cryptic lyrics: “Hey kid, you know it’s been three years since the change / The band broke up, the boys don’t talk, and the city’s rearranged.” Likewise, “Lydia” demonstrates Price’s incredible songwriting ability in the portrait of a woman faced with a difficult choice. A bleak story that navigates broken relationships and abused drugs with brutal honesty, most crucially the song demonstrates Price’s support of abortion rights and bodily autonomy for women. Price adopts a slightly gossipy tone in her role of the storyteller, reminding the protagonist that there’s “A long life ahead to live with yourself / So think about it, Lydia.”
Cohesive and comprehensive, Strays is a solid record and a great representation of Margo Price’s artistry. Personal and political, feminine and feisty, entertaining and clever, Price presents yet another record that is refreshing yet an excellent representation of what makes the Americana genre special. Price’s Spotify bio describes the album as “feral,” which is a perfect one-word summary of this angry, hopeful, explorative manifesto.
– Emma Abate