Katie Pruitt | Fools for the Fleeting | Rounder Records | September 2026

In her newest album, Fools for the Fleeting, Katie Pruitt starts off the soft smoulder of “Matching Tattoos” with the line, “Burnt our future to the ground.” While it refers to Pruitt’s reflection on a relationship close to being torn apart, it also lays out the setting of living in chaotic times. With Pruitt being a sapphic country singer-songwriter who lives in Nashville, there is that fickle risk of going through America’s heaving sociopolitical state right now, especially towards queer people whose joy and safety have slowly been taken away.

Even in the past, Katie Pruitt has been reflective of the social pressures that affect her life and identity, yet Fools for the Fleeting makes the stakes of living in a precarious space much more felt. Her musings on the punchy grooves of “The Aftermath” and the lyrically clumsy, yet melodically affectionate “Little Boxes” dig deep into the experiences of living through terrifying events – COVID19 and the Capitol attack specifically – alongside the waves of aggressive finger-pointing towards their queerness, overwhelming exposure to rough events, and the strict political categorization of the left and the right that disregards nuance and only hurts everyone else.

Those pensive thoughts make way for Katie Pruitt’s yearning songwriting to effectively shine through, especially with the recruitment of Isaiah Beard on production, amplifying the well-balanced crispness of the album’s warmer instrumentation, captivating melodies, and Pruitt’s heartfelt expression. “Disaster” and its soft acoustic shuffle that moves to the evocative crescendo uplift Pruitt’s measured yet rich delivery, portraying the hesitant meeting with a partner who might crush her heart but still clings to that love nonetheless. The tender guitar twang and vivid key flourishes of the title track evocatively snap her introspection of falling in love despite the hurt from the past and future. “Love doesn’t keep you from leaving / And time doesn’t stop for the grieving / Memories will always have a meaning.”

The back half is bookended with some of Pruitt’s stirring love songs to date. The quaint yet supple violin and piano-accented balladry of “If I Call You Mine” is stirring, touching upon the wandering questions of the future that come with staying with someone you love. The mandolin accompaniment from Sierra Hull on “Orion’s Belt” is emotionally heartfelt, with Pruitt using ‘Orion’s Belt’ as a metaphor for her willingness to spend more for her partner than herself, as long as she can make her dreams come true, even if she has accepted the difficult state that they are currently in. 

“As Far As Forever” ends the record with the shuffling groove, lilting pedal steel, and sweeping strings that tie up the arc in a hopeful note. For once, there’s an assurance that Pruitt is willing to take in this relationship that she’s in. She might not always have the answers that will cast off the unsureness and the darkness that surrounds her and her partner, but she’s going to stay with her in the long run. It might lead to a future that’s tougher than ever, but as she sings on the hook, “we might as well try to be happy wherever we are.”

Overall, Fools for the Fleeting might come off softer than Katie Pruitt’s past albums, yet the emotional impact continues to hit harder. It sketches out a reflection of being in love despite the harsh reality that she may face, with a set of country songs that’s musically effervescent and heartwarming. Don’t let the simple presentation fool you, because Katie Pruitt delivers an affirming love letter that moves past the fleeting conditions of the future.

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Louis Pelingen (He/They) is a writer from the Philippines. Currently a staff editor at the Filipino music publication, The Flying Lugaw. His criticism work is also found at The Line of Best Fit, Treble, Northern Transmissions, Merry-Go-Round Magazine, Post-Trash, and Listencorp. Spends most of his time engrossed in the arts, alongside curiously surfing on the interwebs.