Crossroads in Song: Musgraves, American Football, Kahan, and Metric Update the Scene

A round-up of four new album reviews: Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere is polished and atmospheric but not revelatory; American Football’s LP4 is a bold, introspective redefinition that pushes their sound forward; Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide is lengthy and thematically repetitive despite strong moments; Metric’s Romanticize the Dive marks a confident, self-sufficient tenth album that embraces experimentation and perseverance.