The cover of this fourth studio album from Hailey Whitters is high kitsch. Featuring a bust of the critically beloved singer-songwriter carved meticulously out of butter, the image encapsulates Whitters’ brand of country music, which filters precise craftsmanship through a left-of-center, often playful lens. Produced by longtime collaborator and husband Jake Gear, Corn Queen is an all-killer, no-filler collection of no-frills country, with flourishes of pop and bluegrass woven in for good measure. Corn Queen opens with “High on the Hog,” a delightful and twangy origin story that puts a more laidback, devil-may-care spin on the weary perseverance at the heart of “Ten Year Town,” a standout off 2020’s The Dream. Highlights include “High on a Heartbreak,” which recalls Golden Hour-era Kacey Musgraves with its gauzy production and emphasis on melody, and “Casseroles,” a wrenching account of living through grief after “the casseroles stop comin’.” Whitters taps a stellar roster of guests to join her on the album, including bluegrass guitar virtuoso Molly Tuttle on the buoyant and rootsy “Prodigal Daughter.” Acclaimed singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin lends an assist on “I Don’t Want You,” a tender and nuanced duet about a relationship that won’t stick but can’t quite quit, either. Whitters closes the project with a collaboration with Texas country-rock band The Wilder Blue, “DanceMor,” a hopeful reminder to keep on keeping on in the face of adversity.