Michael Hurley Broken Homes And Gardens
Michael Hurley's Broken Homes and Gardens arrives as a quietly profound coda, folding the singer-songwriter's oddball charm into songs steeped in nostalgia and homespun warmth. Dusted Magazine's review frames the record as a final testament where old-timey folk textures meet meditative ruminations on death and finality, and it highlights the record's ability to turn plainspoken storytelling into haunting, memorable moments.
Critics agree that the album's strongest moments are song-centered and intimate: standout tracks like “This”, “New Orleans '61” and “Junebug” emerge as the best songs on Broken Homes and Gardens, praised for ghostly blues touches, bent-note mirages and talk-singing that reads like lived memory. Across one professional review, the collection earned an 80/100 consensus score from critics, with Dusted Magazine noting older numbers such as “Abominable Snowman” and “Indian Chiefs and Hula Girls” slipping into the present feeling well-loved rather than dated.
While the critical reception is limited in breadth, the consensus suggests value for listeners seeking a late-career, bittersweet folk statement: reviewers consistently praise Hurley's homespun arrangements and lyrical warmth, even as the record's gentle eccentricities keep it comfortably off the mainstream path. For readers searching for a concise Broken Homes and Gardens review or wondering whether the album is worth listening to, the critical consensus points to a rewarding, melancholic final chapter in Hurley's catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
This
1 mention
"lovely, haunted "This""— Dusted Magazine
New Orleans '61
1 mention
"talking blues magic of "New Orleans '61""— Dusted Magazine
Junebug
1 mention
"bent note mirage of "June Bug""— Dusted Magazine
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Junebug
Indian Chiefs and Hula Girls
This
Abomidable Snowman
The Monkey
Fava
Cherry Pie
I'll Walk With You
New Orleans '61
Letter in Neon
In A Dress
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Th
Critic's Take
Michael Hurley’s final record, Broken Homes and Gardens, is, in the reviewer’s warm and peculiarly admiring voice, a last testament of oddball charm and gentle weirdness. The best songs - “This”, “Junebug” and “New Orleans '61” - are singled out for their ghostly blues, bent-note mirage and talking-blues storytelling, the kind of moments that answer searches for best tracks on Broken Homes and Gardens with real substance. The writing voice here is affectionate and plainspoken, noting how older numbers like “Abominable Snowman” and “Indian Chiefs and Hula Girls” sidle into the present sounding well-loved, which is why listeners asking about best songs on Broken Homes and Gardens will find these pieces most rewarding.
Key Points
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The best song moments are intimate, haunted or storytelling pieces like "This" and "New Orleans '61" that showcase Hurley’s narrative gift.
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The album’s core strengths are its homespun textures, warm oddball charm, and the way older songs sit comfortably beside newer ones.