Orville Peck - Stampede (2024) CD-Rip

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. Peck 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 and Beck. Unexpectedly, it's the most seasoned veterans who deliver the shakiest performances on Stampede. At the age of 91, it's no surprise Willie Nelson'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 Peck's deep, smooth vocals and Nelson's high, jittery quaver doesn't quite connect. Similarly, Elton John 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 Peck's energy level. Some of the finest moments on Stampede are among the most unexpected: Peck and 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 Peck with its atmospheric dance pulse, and Kylie Minogue's breathy asides are first class; and the bold, sensuous funk of "Death Valley High" with Beck is a perfect vehicle for Peck the showman. Stampede finds Peck 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 Peck interacts best with his partners when the scale is more human and personal. Stampede 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 Orville Peck the Artist, who deserves his share of the spotlight.