I can’t imagine a career path that would lend itself to more instances of “imposter syndrome” than a musician who has had at least one successful album. The self-doubt has to be crippling at its worst, and a vague feeling in the back of the head at best. Imagine that your first two records were popular, but the songs that populated those records had been cultivated over years of bar shows, local fairs, and wherever else one could perform. All of a sudden, there’s nothing in the notebook, the fans are demanding a third album, the label is getting impatient…doesn’t sound enjoyable does it? How do the questions of “Do I have the talent to get through this” “Will I ever write a hit song again?”, etc. not pop up? Creativity on demand doesn’t really jive with the image of the thoughtful songwriter now does it?
This is the part of the review where I cop to being one of those fans who was anxiously awaiting ANY hint of new material from Orville Peck. I enjoyed his debut record Pony well enough to give his sophomore album Bronco a listen, and was completely blown away by what I heard; a performer who actively sought to tie in an inherently nostalgic sensibility with lyrics and stories that encapsulate life for the disenfranchised in the 2020’s. The wife and I went to see him live during the summer of ‘22, and that cemented our fandom. Wherever Orville Peck was headed, we would follow
By all accounts, Peck experienced the dilemma that was laid out in the first paragraph of this review after the release of Bronco in 2022. An incredibly busy touring schedule, coupled with the success (and consequently raised expectations) of Bronco and a mental health crisis, had Peck in a place where he was questioning a lot of things with regards to his future as a musician. Thankfully, an opportunity arose to record a cover of “Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” with outlaw country legend Willie Nelson, and that experience drove Peck to get back into the ring. The result? The duet album Stampede.
The fact that this record is comprised entirely of duets makes it slightly harder to ascertain what direction/lessons Peck is going to take from the experience moving forward, but I am going to go out on a limb and highlight on the potential positives. A question I had after 
Bronco was essentially: how can Peck take his classic country style voice and evolve it to where it reflects some of the sounds of the current day? To be clear, I was not necessarily demanding such a change; if he released 10 straight albums that had the quality of Bronco I would have been delighted. It was more of a curiosity, and an understanding of the natural tendency musicians have to expand their sound. Stampede contains definitive signposts that indicate he is more than capable of doing so.
For someone who is relatively new to the industry, Peck was able to compile one hell of a list of artists to sing along with on this record. Whether they are a titan of the pop scene (Elton John, Kylie Minogue) current and hip country darlings (Midland, Margo Price) or up and comers (Noah Cyrus, Teddy Swims), they all seemed excited to be performing on Stampede. Not all of the performances reach their full potential, but enough do for Stampede to be considered more hit than miss.
Those aforementioned hits come, perhaps surprisingly, from the non-country artists. This album was divided in half and had two separate releases over the course of the summer, and the bridge single between the two halves was the absolute banger “Midnight Ride.” Featuring Kylie Minogue and Diplo, the song takes full advantage of Peck’s lower register to perfectly complement the classic, breathy Minogue performance. There are wonderfully subtle elements of the retro sound Peck has utilized over the last few years, but it’s first and foremost a dance track with a massive hook. For my money, the Latin flavored “Miénteme” features Peck’s best overall vocal performance across his three albums and EP. His range truly is stunning, and I can verify that he’s able to show that off during live performances, which is incredibly impressive in this day and age.
Yet there are some tracks that while I wouldn’t go so far as to call missteps, just fall short when compared to their more successful brethren. Long time readers of the Daily Vault know that we don’t have a bigger Elton John here than yours truly, but John and Orville’s rendition of “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” lacks the edge that makes the original such a classic; it’s too polished and too soft. “Ever You’re Gone” had all the tools to be a standout track considering the vocal capabilities of both Orville and Teddy Swims, but it never really reaches out and grabs you like it should. And while I love how “country” “You’re an Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (and I want a Divorce)” gets lyrically (in fact this is probably one of the most “country” songs Peck has taken part in), it lacks a strong hook.
Stampede climbs to it’s greatest height when the song choice, performance, and story come together in an inescapable blend of hope and positivity for the future. “Rhinestone Cowboy” is a legendary hit from Glen Campbell, and here on Stampede it is performed with ebullient gusto by four openly gay country artists. To be able to type that sentence, in the year 2024 (while massively overdue) demonstrates that a genre that traditionally is resistant to change and inclusivity is slowly changing for the better.
This album is one that Orville Peck had to make in order to move forward with his career: it provided him with a roadmap out of dark times so in that sense I’m incredibly happy we have this record. Yes, it may see him in a holding pattern momentarily, but there are glimpses here that illuminate a few different paths he can take in the future. I’ll still be there, ready to listen.