Trixie Mattel – the drag persona of Brian Firkus – is a beacon for queer representation in country music. With her new record, Barbara, named after the 11.5-inch plastic icon named Barbie, she continues to flex rootsy country music, alongside beachy 1960s pop influences.
“Gold” kickstarts the album’s second half – a shimmering, yet deeply melancholic, glimpse at the roller coaster of any real romantic relationship. The ache is most palpable on the second verse: “I said there to the junkman / ‘Have you seen my heart?’ / He said, ‘Not for a while and any pile of heavy parts’ / I said, ‘Now not to worry Thank you all the same’ / Since my heart’s been beating like a kitten on parade.”
Mattle’s vocals are unfussy, but “Gold” possesses something truly timely, in the vein of Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris.
Listen to “Gold” below.