The Horses and the Hounds
Studio album by
James McMurtry
ReleasedAugust 20, 2021 (2021-08-20)
Length47:23
LabelNew West Records
ProducerRoss Hogarth
James McMurtry chronology
Complicated Game
(2015)		 The Horses and the Hounds
(2021)

The Horses and the Hounds is the tenth studio album by American singer James McMurtry. It was released on 20 August 2021 through New West Records.

Critical reception

According to Metacritic, The Horses and the Hounds has a score of 81 out of 100, indicating that it has received "universal acclaim" from music critics.[1] In Paste, Geoffrey Himes wrote that "on this record, McMurtry sings in the first person as if he were an old man phoning from Canada to an old friend who had briefly been a lover; as if he were a mentally unbalanced man who shoots his best friend for no good reason; as if he were a homeless truck driver living in a series of motels; as if he were a husband with a flat tire, an angry wife and no internet. None of those characters are him, but he’s such a good actor as a singer that it’s easy to believe he is."[2]

Writing for Pitchfork, Stephen M. Deusner said "McMurtry has become what’s known as a songwriter's songwriter: someone whose facility with words and influence on other artists far outstrip his mainstream notoriety and album sales". Deusner stated that The Horses and the Hounds saw McMurtry focus on "his favorite subjects", and that "McMurtry sounds more engaged here, more focused, and more generous to his hard-luck characters".[3]

Slant writer Jeremy Winograd opined that "McMurtry has always been a superb, instinctive storyteller, using his characters as conduits to get at more profound truth than a more diaristic lyricist might", and that The Horses and the Hounds not only features "no shortage of great stories", but details that "betray a self-aware preoccupation with aging that lend the album a more endearingly personal bent than his previous efforts".[4]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal. All tracks are produced by Ross Hogarth.[5]

The Horses and the Hounds track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Canola Fields"James McMurtry4:50
2."If It Don't Bleed"McMurtry3:50
3."Operation Never Mind"McMurtry4:34
4."Jackie"McMurtry5:08
5."Decent Man"McMurtry4:49
6."Vaquero"McMurtry4:41
7."The Horses and the Hounds"
4:38
8."Ft. Walton Wake Up Call"
  • McMurtry
  • Cornbread
  • Daren Hess
5:17
9."What's the Matter"McMurtry4:27
10."Blackberry Winter"
  • McMurtry
  • Ross Hogarth
5:09
Total length:47:23

Charts

Chart (2021) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[6] 3
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[7] 10
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[8] 29
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[9] 8
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[10] 41

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Horses and the Hounds
Region Date Version Label Ref.
Various 20 August 2021 New West Records [11]

References

  1. ↑ "The Horses and the Hounds by James McMurtry". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  2. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (August 18, 2021). "The Curmudgeon: James McMurtry and The Family Business". Paste. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  3. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (September 10, 2021). "James McMurtry: The Horses and the Hounds Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  4. ↑ Winograd, Jeremy (August 16, 2021). "Review: With The Horses and the Hounds, James McMurtry Embraces and Defies Aging". Slant. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Credits / The Horses and the Hounds / James McMurtry". Tidal. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ "James McMurtry Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ "James McMurtry Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ "James McMurtry Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. ↑ "James McMurtry Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ "James McMurtry Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ "The Horses and the Hounds by James McMurtry". Apple Music (NZ). August 20, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
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