Rusty Reid is a Texas-born, Seattle-based singer-songwriter whose roots run through indie folk, country, and rock. “Oh, What a World” is his cover of the Kacey Musgraves song, and it closes Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters), a nineteen-track collection of covers in which every song was written by a songwriter with a link to Texas.
Oh, What a World
Reid chose it to end the album because of its connection to his spiritual side. After a long emotional ride through the earlier tracks, the song gives him a way to leave listeners on a high note, finishing with a sense of wonder instead of simply spending the intensity that came before. It’s also the only song on the record written by a woman, with Musgraves sharing the credit with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, which gives its place on the album extra weight.
Musgraves’ original is airy and surreal, and Reid deliberately goes another way, keeping his version more grounded while leaving room for the guitars and vocals to rise and expand. The result keeps the song’s sense of wonder, but the performance is shaped by his own roots, and it comes across rich, warm, and full of emotion. A vibrant guitar tone and a touch of Americana twang give it a country feel, and a full band backs him: Jason Roller on electric guitars, Chris Condon on acoustic guitars, Dane Bryant on keyboards, Jay Gorman on bass, and Robert Blair on drums. That mix of acoustic warmth and electric lift lets the instrumental passages breathe, and it suits a song at the end of a record built around Texas songwriters.
It turns the song into a celebration of life’s natural wonders, human connection, and gratitude for existence, a fitting last word for an album this large. It’s also a good case for covers in general. You don’t have to beat the original, you only have to find your own way into it, and Reid finds one that reveals a different emotional angle shaped by his own experience.
Final Thoughts
“Oh, What a World” is a thoughtful, grounded reimagining that makes a familiar song feel like it belongs on Reid’s own record, and it’s a warm way to close Lone Stardust. Stream it on Spotify, watch the video on YouTube, and follow Rusty Reid on Instagram.
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