Orville Peck – Stampede (Warner Music) 13th Floor Album Review

Let us take time to consider, or more accurately, reconsider, the enigma that is Orville Peck. The masked gay country singer has just released Stampede, 15 songs with 15 different collaborators.

Those collaborators include everyone from Willie Nelson to Kylie Minogue.

But before we get into the music, what do we know about the man?

Orville Peck started out life, 36 years ago in Johannesburg, South Africa as Daniel Pitout where he was something of a Lone Ranger, Johannesburg not known as a hotbed for Country music . Pitout relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia where he played drums for Nü Sensae, a punk trio formed in 2008.

He then studied acting in London before taking on the personae of Orville Peck, the masked country singer who release his first album, Pony, in 2019 on Sub Pop.

Orville’s impressive pipes and masked personae got him noticed and appreciated, enough so, that he performed at Auckland’s Powerstation in 2022 on the heels of his second album, Bronco. (Click here for the 13^th Floor review and photos).

Then, suddenly, after a sold-out show in New York in 2023, Peck cancelled his tour in order to “focus on his mental and physical health”.

Now he’s back with what I consider the best work of his career.

Stampede first appeared as a 7-song EP released in May. Now we have the whole enchilada…15 songs, every one of them a fascinating collaboration.

First up is Orville’s cover of Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other, a song that dates back to the 1980s when the song’s writer, Ned Sublette, released it in 1982. None other than Willie Nelson released his own version in 2006, citing the success of Brokeback Mountain as the perfect time for the song to reach a wider audience.

And one thing we do know…Willie knows best.

In fact, Willie is on board for Orville’s version. I highly recommend you check out the video just to watch the masked Peck and the wrinkled Nelson sitting under a tree singing “inside every cowboy there’s a lady who’d love to slip out”.

After all, as the song asks, “what did you think all those saddles and boots was about?”

It’s a great jumping off point and there are several other covers among the 15 track including Elton John’s Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) with Elton singing along, Margo Price’s You’re An Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (and I Want A Divorce) and Rhinestone Cowboy.

The Elton track is nothing special but the other two are. Margo and Orville have a great time with her DIVORCE ditty and Rhinestone Cowboy is the perfect closer…somewhere ol’ Glen is smilin’.

But Stampede is much more that a collection of cool covers and novelty songs.

Chemical Sunset, a collaboration with Allison Russell, is exquisite with its muted trumpet and Tom Waits vibe.

It’s followed by Death Valley High featuring Beck and finding him sounding like his late-90s best. And the video features Sharon Stone!

Miley’s little sister Noah Cyrus chimes in on How Far Will We Take It? And Kylie (with Diplo) lay down a disco dance beat with Midnight Ride that is irresistible. I mean, who can resist Kylie’s whispered vocal?

Oh, there is another cover to mention, Stephen Merritt’s (Magnetic Fields) Papa Was A Rodeo is another standout with Orville on harmonica and Molly Tuttle pickin’ her guitar.

I haven’t even mentioned Teddy Swims, Nathaniel Ratcliff and Midland, all of whom turn in excellent songs and performances.

Orville Peck’s Stampede contains an embarrassment of riches and I highly recommended that you treat yourself to them.

Marty Duda