Orville Peck- Stampede
Label: Warner
Producers: Orville Peck, Beau Bedford, Dim Star, Ryan Raines, Christopher Stracey, and RMB
The perennially masked cowboy enigma returns to follow up 2022’s Bronco, a fabulous and elaborate opus that further launched him into the stratosphere of today’s most fascinating musical curators. A fifteen-track collection of duets, Stampede, also his third full-length and an expansion of an EP preview he first released in May, immediately confirms that Orville Peck’s restless ambition has not tempered an iota in the past two years. Across this near hour of music, Peck displays the same generous amount of passion, gusto and commitment that he did on this project’s double-length predecessor. The roster of guests assembled here spans a diverse field of country and rock heroes, and rising pop and Americana noisemakers. This varied array of collaborations proves to be another excellent demonstration of Peck’s vibrant style and chameleonic nature. He once again gloriously recalls everyone from Elvis Presley to Raul Malo/TheMavericks to Roy Orbison with each vocal twist and turn. Stylistically, the unique sonic range of the guest-list likewise serves as a vessel for Peck’s wide-eyed creatively as well. One might worry that this variation would damage the cohesion of the record itself, but per usual, Peck’s adventurous variety is the unifying anchor of anything he crafts. One moment he’s dabbling in funky, rap-rock science with Beck on the trippy “Death Valley High”, the next he’s mashing up honky tonk and disco with Diplo and Kylie Minogue on “Midnight Ride”, before channeling saucy and modern Conway & Loretta vibes with Margo Price on “You’re An Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (And I Want a Divorce)” (easily the best country song title since “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly”). He crafts gorgeous Americana with Allison Russell (“Chemical Sunset”), Midland (“The Hurtin’ Kind”) and Nathaniel Rateliff (“Conquer the Heart”). He rips our hearts out with Noah Cyrus on the gutting “How Far Will We Take It?”. He gets grassy with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on “Papa Was A Rodeo” and goes south of the border with Bu Cuaron on “Mienteme”. And he transforms Glen Campbell’s touchstone, “Rhinestone Cowboy” into a revived, queer anthem with the help of fellow gay troubadours, TJ Osborne, Fancy Hagood, and Waylon Payne. Of course, it’s easy to allow the novelty appeal to influence one’s pinpointing the covers with the originators of Willie Nelson’s 2006 queer anthem, “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”, and a turbo-Western version of Elton John’s classic, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, as the ultimate highlights. But it’d also be a correct assertion. His resurrection of the Nelson cut comes at a critical cultural moment in the LBTQIA+ story, while the 77-years-young Elton’s ability to keep up with Peck’s dynamic showmanship again proves that he remains one of the most uniquely gifted entertainers on Planet Earth. There’d clearly be no Orville Peck without Elton John…or Willie Nelson for that matter. It’s adamantly clear that the pivotal evolutionary paths that they both forged in the development of American music is in capable hands with Orville Peck and the comrades he gathers here at the forefront.
Track Listing:
- “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” featuring Willie Nelson (Ned Sublette)
- “The Hurtin’ Kind” featuring Midland (Orville Peck, Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy Leland, Ryan Raines, Mark Wystrach)
- “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) featuring Elton John (Elton John, Bernie Taupin)
- “Back at Your Door” featuring Debbii Dawson (Peck, Debbii Dawson, Casey Smith, Sammy Witte)
- “Chemical Sunset” featuring Allison Russell (Peck, Russell, Drew Lindsay, JT Nero)
- “Death Valley High” featuring Beck (Peck, Beck, Dan Nakumura)
- “How Far Will We Take It?” featuring Noah Cyrus (Ben Cramer, Braison Cyrus)
- “Mienteme” featuring Bu Cuaron (Peck, Bu Cuaron, Amiel Gonzales, Tobias Jesso Jr., Christopher Stracey)
- “Papa Was a Rodeo” featuring Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway (Stephin Merritt)
- “Midnight Ride” featuring Kylie Minogue and Diplo (Peck, Kylie Minogue, Stracey, Marta Cikojevic)
- “Ever You’re Gone” featuring Teddy Swims (Peck, Drew Pearson, Micah Premnath)
- “You’re An Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (And I Want a Divorce)” featuring Margo Price (Margo Price)
- “Where Are We Now?” featuring Mickey Guyton (Peck, Stracey)
- “Conquer the Heart” featuring Nathaniel Rateliff (Nathaniel Rateliff)
- “Rhinestone Cowboy” featuring TJ Osborne, Fancy Hagood, and Waylon Payne (Larry Weiss)
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