Pohorylle

Pohorylle is the 2021 debut full-length album by American country musician Margo Cilker. It received positive reviews from critics.

Reception
In Glide Magazine, John Moore characterized this release as "a remarkable career starting point, that grows more impressive with each listen". John Mulvey of Mojo gave Pohorylle 4 out of 5 stars, stating that the music initially sounds like straightforward Americana, but as the tracks unfold, Cilker incorporates other influences and "[Cilker]’s not averse to throwing a Dixieland jazz band into the mix", resulting in a "very good" debut. In No Depression, Maeri Ferguson called Pohorylle "profound" for displaying Cilker's self-exploration in the lyrics and various "sonic capabilities" that have "the prettiest shimmery melodies". Writing for Pitchfork, Stephen M. Deusner rated Pohorylle a 7.7 out of 10, opining that Cilker wrote country music outside of the genre's mainstream, leading it to "conveys a distinct and lively personality".

PopMatters' Steve Horowitz considered this release an exploration of femininity and favorably compares the songwriting to The Band, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. In a review for Cilker's follow-up Valley of Heart's Delight, Chris DeVille of Stereogum called this album "one of those records that never dredged up a torrential hype storm but became a treasured favorite for many" for presenting "Cilker as a chronicler of the world’s less explored corners, with a knack for smart, funny wordplay and a musical style that blurred the lines between country and folk-rock". That site also chose this as the fifth best country album of 2021 with "so much unexpected joy and wit", where "Cilker nudges her delivery from matter of fact to a soft warble, drawing you along in conversation, a bunch of songs for the road we’re all trying desperately to navigate". In Uncut, Rob Hughes scored this album 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting several individual tracks for being "awash with grace, wisdom and allusive wordplay".

In a 2022 review of a live performance by Cilker, Kitty Empire called Pohorylle "a flawless gem of a record that provided instant succour and the promise of more expansive times to come".

Track listing

 * 1) "That River" – 3:09
 * 2) "Kevin Johnson" – 3:24
 * 3) "Broken Arm in Oregon" – 3:47
 * 4) "Flood Plain" – 3:26
 * 5) "Tehachapi" – 3:07
 * 6) "Barbed Wire (Belly Crawl)" – 2:44
 * 7) "Chester's" – 3:37
 * 8) "Brother, Taxman, Preacher" – 2:36
 * 9) "Wine in the World" – 5:34

Personnel

 * Margo Cilker – guitar, vocals
 * John Morgan Askew – instrumentation, engineering, mixed
 * Sera Cahoone – production
 * Sarah Cilker – harmony vocals
 * Jenny Conlee – keyboards
 * JJ Golden – mastering at Bocce, Vancouver, Washington, United States
 * Jason Kardong – pedal steel guitar
 * Mirabai Peart – strings
 * Kelly Pratt – horns
 * Rebecca Young – bass