Orville Peck
is clearly a believer in the concept of subverting from within. While he was far from the first artist to point to the queer subtext in the iconography of country music and cowboy culture, he is one of the few who believed he could do that and appeal to mainstream pop and country music fans at the same time, and the critical and commercial success of 2019's
Pony
and 2022's
Bronco
confirmed
Peck
could pull it off. One of the most treasured traditions in mainstream music is the Duets Album, in which the star surrounds themself with a bunch of other artists of note and creates something that's not just another collection of tunes but an Event with a capital E.
dipped his toe into this strategy on the 2020 EP
Show Pony
, where he dueted with
Shania Twain
on "Legends Never Die," and he goes all in with 2024's
Stampede
, featuring 15 tracks where he shares the vocal mic with an impressive array of guest stars, running the gamut from
Willie Nelson
and
Elton John
to
Kylie Minogue
Beck
. Unexpectedly, it's the most seasoned veterans who deliver the shakiest performances on
. At the age of 91, it's no surprise
's voice doesn't sound like it once did, and his take on "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" gets by on its charm and the resonance of
Nelson
's guitar, but the blend of
's deep, smooth vocals and
's high, jittery quaver doesn't quite connect. Similarly,
sounds game on a new version of "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," but his delivery is faulty and he seems to have trouble keeping up with
's energy level. Some of the finest moments on
are among the most unexpected:
Molly Tuttle
work wonders with a bluegrass-styled cover of
Stephin Merritt
's "Papa Was a Rodeo"; the big, melodramatic sound of "Midnight Ride" works great for
with its atmospheric dance pulse, and
's breathy asides are first class; and the bold, sensuous funk of "Death Valley High" with
is a perfect vehicle for
the showman.
finds
usually reaching for the grand gesture (the closing cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" with
Fancy Hagood
,
T.J. Osborne
, and
Waylon Payne
more than qualifies), and he certainly has the voice and the charisma for it, but the intimacy of tracks like "How Far Will We Take It" (with
Noah Cyrus
), "Back at Your Door" (with
Debbi Dawson
), and "Where Are We Now" (with
Mickey Guyton
) reveal that
interacts best with his partners when the scale is more human and personal.
is the work of a singer who is a star and obviously excited by the possibilities it offers him as a performer, but the best moments suggest he should offer a little more space for
the Artist, who deserves his share of the spotlight. ~ Mark Deming