Barely Blue

The title *Barely Blue* captures Midland’s essence: down and out, to be sure, but too much of a good time to be really, truly blue. The Texas-bred band serves up its signature blend of heartache and hangovers on this follow-up to 2022’s *The Last Resort: Greetings From*, but does so with a sense of expansiveness likely brought by the trio’s decision to record the album outside of the Lone Star State. Midland tapped superproducer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson) to helm *Barely Blue*, decamping to Georgia Mae Studios in Savannah, Georgia, to record its eight new tracks. *Barely Blue* is a gentler album than previous releases, with rootsy, often acoustic production taking the place of the band’s more muscular earlier efforts. Opening track “Lucky Sometimes” is airy and open, with playful and memorable lyrical images like “a string of green lights on the way to work” and a “Cracker Barrel waitress ... giving me eyes.” The title track uses wisps of pedal steel to underscore a story of moving past heartbreak. And even though the record wasn’t recorded in Texas, the state still leaves its imprint, as the record closes with “Lone Star State of Mind,” a spare and melodic ballad that offers plenty of room for the trio’s bigger-than-Texas harmonies.