Stampede: Vol. 1

Orville Peck brings together a handful of his most talented friends on this first installment of *Stampede*, a duets collection from the enigmatic masked country singer-songwriter. The record opens with a Willie Nelson-assisted cover of Ned Sublette’s clever, queer 1981 song “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” which Nelson famously recorded in 2006. Elton John joins Peck for a spirited take on the former’s 1973 hit “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting),” with Peck’s Roy Orbison-esque croon a dramatic counterpoint to John’s masterful belt. Peck and Allison Russell make formidable partners on “Chemical Sunset,” with a loose, jazzy arrangement that’s one of the project’s better grooves. Midland, Noah Cyrus, Bu Cuaron, and Nathaniel Rateliff round out the guest list on the star-studded project.

‘Stampede: Vol. 1’ reflects both Orville Peck’s dedication to the genre and his desire not to be confined by it.