Authenticity became a byword for the music of
Margo Price
, likely due to the dramatic story behind her 2016 debut album
Midwest Farmer's Daughter
. Self-funded and released on
Jack White
's
Third Man Records
, the album felt like a throwback to the glory days of outlaw country, a sound that enlivened and emphasized her hard-luck stories.
Price
sustained that vibe on 2017's
All American Made
but she started to broaden her purview, laying the groundwork for the lush, expansive
That's How Rumors Get Started
. Superficially,
appears to be the reverse image of the flinty
, swapping its lean immediacy for ornate arrangements that occasionally evoke memories of the early '80s, when New Wave country and album-oriented rock sometimes intermingled.
rarely indulges in nostalgia or retro-fetishism, the vintage sounds function as coloring and texture on an album whose songs are clearly the work of the storyteller of
. Initially, though, the production is the arresting element of
.
hired
Sturgill Simpson
as producer and he helped assemble a group of studio pros who are names in their own right, including keyboardist
Benmont Tench
, bassist
Pino Palladino
, and guitarist
Matt Sweeney
. The ensemble plays with an elegant elasticity throughout
, letting ballads swell to an emotional crescendo but also happy to settle into a country-soul groove or slather on the fuzz guitars, as they do on "Twinkle Twinkle." It's a disparate set of sounds, united by an AOR pulse and
's sincerity; she may crack a joke, but she's never singing with a smirk. There's a confidence in her vocal performances that reflects the album's spirit: She's comfortable following her obsessions and idiosyncrasies to their logical end, resulting in a record that comforts and challenges in equal measure. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine