Dave Davies

This is Fresh Air.

Our rock critic Ken Tucker has something new and something old for us.

There's the new album from one of country music's biggest stars, Kacey Musgraves.

Ken thinks the best songs on her new album, Middle of Nowhere, have the dramatic detail of good fiction.

He's also here to praise a recently published book, Jimmy McDonough's biography of the 1970s-era singer Gary Stewart, called I Am from the Honky Tonks.

It's a lengthy portrait of a gifted but tragic performer.

Something old, something new.

Let's start with Casey Musgraves.

Ken Tucker reviewed new music by Casey Musgraves and a biography of Gary Stewart called I Am From the Honky Tonks.

On tomorrow's show, we speak with actor Josh O'Connor.

He won an Emmy playing a young Prince Charles in The Crown.

Now he's the lead in Steven Spielberg's new film Disclosure Day.

We'll talk about his approach in this new blockbuster and Spielberg's decades-long exploration of the idea that aliens are among us.

I hope you can join us.

Fresh Air's executive producer is Sam Brigger.

Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham.

Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Anne-Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Yakundi, Anna Bauman, and Nico Gonzalez-Whistler.

Our digital media producer is Molly C.V.

Nesper.

Roberta Shorrock directs the show.